


Devil's Gate

by ncsupnatfan



Series: Sam's Powers [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Brotherly Love, Family Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Supernatural Elements, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:00:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 42,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27838753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ncsupnatfan/pseuds/ncsupnatfan
Summary: The Winchester brothers are finally reunited with their father and learn of another evil that is threatening to destroy the world. Can they stop it? Will they all survive? This is the third story in the Sam's Power trilogy. It is best if you read Is This The Real Me and Accept Me As I Am that lead up to this story.
Series: Sam's Powers [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1743853
Comments: 82
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Welcome back dear readers for the last story of this trilogy. We pick up after the vision Sam had about another evil threatening the world. Buckle up for the ride and I hope you enjoy. Comments will make my day. NC**

* * *

The mood in the Singer house was somber and subdued, ever since Sam had a vision of a new threat to humanity from yet another demon, one with white eyes this time. None knew his name, only that he wanted to open a Devil’s Gate to release demons upon this earth. 

The only clues they had were a cemetery somewhere in Wyoming and a time frame of possibly early spring. For the Devil’s Gate to be opened, a rumored gun, the Colt, would have to be found. It was made by Samuel Colt back in the 1800’s and had passed through many hands, lost and found several times, and lost again. 

John Winchester had been searching for the gun since he heard rumors of its existence so he could kill the Demon who killed his wife, Mary. But now that was no longer an issue, since his youngest son killed the Demon, after being kidnapped by him and forced to drink demon blood to awaken the psychic powers within him. Having psychic powers almost torn his family apart, but now they were all working together toward one goal, stopping the white eyed Demon.

Time passed slowly since Sam’s vision and the Winchesters and Bobby Singer had been researching graveyards in Wyoming and looking for any information on white eyed demons. They hoped between their research and Ash helping, they would get a break soon. John had contacted Ellen to warn her about the possible danger so she could ward the place and be on the lookout for demons.

Christmas and New Year’s came and went with little celebration, except for a quiet lunch and watching the game afterwards. None of them could push away the impending danger that hung over their heads to actually enjoy being together during this time. 

A winter storm pushed through the northern states just before Christmas and dumped nearly a foot of snow across the land. Bitter cold had frozen the landscape and additional snow fell on New Year’s Day. Everything was at a stand still waiting for the thaw that wouldn’t come for several weeks. 

A second vision hit Sam a few days into the new year, on an afternoon that had light snow falling outside. 

“It’s okay Sammy, breath,” Dean whispered to him as he held him close as Sam’s body stiffened and shook.

“What can I do?” John asked, feeling useless as he watched his youngest suffer through the vision.

“Get him some Gatorade for the electrolytes and sugar boost, he’ll need it afterwards,” Dean told him. He gently rocked Sam as they sat on the couch in the living room. “You’re doing good bro, just let it come.”

“It’s fading,” Sam moaned painfully feeling his body go limp and let Dean hold him up as he drew in shaky breaths.

“Here son, try to drink something,” John said. He offered Sam a bottle of Gatorade with a straw sticking out of it.

Dean held the bottle as Sam sipped on the cold drink, relishing the coldness as it soothed his dry throat. He sighed as the tension left his body and he was able to sit back against the couch with his eyes closed. He knew the others were watching him and waiting for him to say something.

“It was the same vision as before, cemetery, white eyed demon, gate, and it being opened,” Sam said before opening his eyes to look at them. “The demon spoke this time, he said this was the first step in his plan to free Lucifer and I saw the guy with the gun better. He’s my age, shorter than Dean, brown hair, white. It’s definitely spring, I saw flowers starting to bloom that were scattered throughout the cemetery.”

“You okay Sammy?” Dean asked as he looked him over for any aftereffects.

“Yeah, it seems easier with each one and I saw more clearer this time,” Sam said. He took the drink from Dean and continued to drink it.

“Any idea what he meant by that?” John asked Bobby looking his way. “Opening a Devil’s Gate, how could that affect where Lucifer is? Isn’t he locked down somewhere in hell?”

“No clue, but I’ll see if I can find anything in any of my books,” he replied. 

“Has Ash found out anything else?” Dean asked.

“No, he thought he had a lead, but it didn’t pan out. The only good thing is if it’s this hard for us, it’s gotta be as hard for the demons. We can only hope to find it first,” John told them.

“You wanna rest for a bit Sammy?” Dean asked getting up so Sam could stretch out on the couch. “I was gonna take that old four-wheel drive of Bobby’s and see if I can get into town for a supply run.”

“I can go with you,” John offered. “It’d be good to get out of the house.” John didn’t like staying in one place for so long, but he had to admit to himself that he enjoyed spending the past few weeks with his sons. It gave him a chance to reconnect with them and to really talk to Sam about these powers he now had. In order to understand them and his son better, he knew he needed to allow Sam to be who he was and accept him like that. Like Sam had told him, these powers can’t be taken away from him, so why not learn to use them to help in hunts.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll be ready in few minutes. Better dress warm, it’s still below freezing out there.”

“Plan on it. I’ll be ready when you are,” John replied. He headed for the stairs to put on long johns. The way the wind was blowing, it would go right through your clothes and chill you to the bone. It didn’t take him long to slip them on, put on his clothes, and was coming back down the stairs when he heard his sons talking.

“Can you get me some yogurt and maybe some ginger ale?” Sam asked from the couch as Dean paced in front of him waiting for their Dad to come back down.

“Already have it on the list,” he replied patting his pocket.

“You have a list?” Sam asked in shock. “An actual written down list?”

“Yeah, why?” Dean asked, confused by Sam’s questions.

“You never use a list dude; I’ve seen you shop. You just pick up what catches your attention. The more colorful the better, no matter what it might be. How I survived childhood is a miracle.”

“Bitch!”

“Jerk!”

“Boys!” their father cautioned them. He knew their argument was usually all in fun and what brothers did, but sometimes it was hard not to say something.

“C’mon Dad before it gets any later,” Dean told him slipping on gloves and watch cap. “Rest Sammy,” he ordered, pointing a finger at him before leaving.

“Yeah, yeah…” Sam shot back, waving him off.

John followed Dean outside and pulled the scarf tighter around his neck and up over his face. Both had grabbed sunglasses since the world outside was hidden in a blanket of white that hurt the eyes to look at when the sun glared off the surfaces. The snow had finally let up, but the low temperatures kept the outside uninviting and roads hazardous.

**spn**

Sam rested his head on a pillow glad to be alone for a while. Being cooped up by the storm had everyone getting on each other’s nerves. He closed his eyes and let his body relax and thought about the talks he had with John. It was so much more than he expected, and he now felt no need to hide his true self from them. They all accepted him, powers, and all. He let his mind shut down hoping the last of his headache would go away. The visions were few and far between, but they really took a lot out of him.

Sam was dozing peacefully when a shrill ringing nearby had him squinting and cracking his eyes open trying to find the source. He rolled over and looked toward a chair where John had left his computer bag. He pushed himself up off the couch and opened the bag to find a cell ringing.

“Hello,” Sam said.

_“Mr. Winchester?”_ a male voice asked. _“John Winchester?”_

“No, I’m his son can I help you?”

_“I need to speak to John Winchester please.”_

“He’s not here at the moment, should be back shortly, can I take a message?”

_“If you would have him call Kemper and Stewart attorney’s office when he comes back.”_

“What is this regarding?” Sam asked as he grabbed a pad and pen.

_“It is regarding an inheritance for a Mary Campbell. I believe that was his wife.”_

“Okay,” Sam replied frowning slightly and wondering what inheritance.

_“Our number is 800-862-4697 and he can ask for Chris, we’re here until five pm.”_

“I’ll have him call, but it may be tomorrow morning.”

_“That will be fine sir, good day.”_

Sam hung up the cell and looked at the message for a moment before putting it on the kitchen table under a saltshaker. He went back to the couch to lay back down and pulled a blanket from the back to cover his body. The wind was picking up outside and it beat against the side of the old house. He felt a chill and cuddled under the warm cover. The call was forgotten as he slipped back under the throes of sleep.

It was nearly an hour and a half before Dean slid up the driveway and stopped at the front of the house. The roads had been passable, but they had slid in several places and almost ended up in a ditch once. He had put his Baby in an empty garage bay to keep it out of the storm. They hurried out and grabbed the bags of food before heading inside. Dean’s foot hit a slick spot and he danced toward the porch trying to keep his balance and not wipeout. He swore as he waved his arms and tried not to lose the bags he was carrying. 

“Nice two step out there, son,” John chuckled as he got the door opened for them and let Dean go inside. 

“Damn ice,” Dean grumbled under his breath. He strolled on through the living room seeing Sam curled up still on the couch with only a portion of his face showing from under the blanket.

“That vision really drained him,” John whispered trying to be quiet.

“Yeah, they do. Missouri said it would get better. I hope it does,” Dean sighed sitting down his bags so he could remove his heavy coat, gloves, and hat. He stepped to the laundry room and hung the coat up. 

“Hey,” Sam said. He was standing in the doorway rubbing his eyes and trying to wake up.

“Dude! You gotta let me find some clippers,” Dean insisted when he saw Sam’s bed head with hair sticking out everywhere. “Five minutes, honestly, only five minutes.”

“No,” Sam stated giving Dean his best bitch face as he ran his fingers through his hair trying to tame it down.

“Dean leave your brother alone,” John said seeing the face Sam shot at him. This had been an ongoing battle since childhood. Sam didn’t like his hair being cut and it was a fight or big bribery to have it trimmed. He wondered now was that his way to keep the outside world at bay as he watched Sam yawn again and his hair fall over part of his face.

“There’s a message for you Dad,” Sam told him pointing to the table.

John picked up the paper and read it twice before looking back at Sam.

“What is it Dad?”

“An attorney’s office called about your Mom,” he said looking at the clock to see the time. It was still before five, so he headed to Bobby’s office to call them back.

“Did they say what they wanted?” Dean asked Sam.

“I don’t know, something about an inheritance,” Sam mumbled watching John sit down at Bobby’s desk.

“Bobby’s not back yet?”

“No, I’m sure he’s not stopped since this ice storm hit. Deputy Mills has him working with the sheriff’s department to answer calls for stranded motorist,” Sam replied.

“I’m doing chili for dinner tonight.”

“Wanna tone the heat of it down this time?”

“Wimp,” Dean accused him.

“I’d like to have a few taste buds that still work if you don’t mind.”

“Alright, I can always add hot sauce when I eat mine,” Dean relented deciding Sam didn’t ask for much and would let him have this win. 

They both looked toward their father who came back into the room. He had a puzzled look on his face as he took a seat at the table. 

“Did you get the attorney?” Dean asked.

“Yeah. It seems some relative on your Mom’s Dad’s side of the family left her some things that are in a storage facility in Iowa. Since I’m her next of kin it’s mine. I just need to go by the attorney’s office to sign some papers and get the details.”

“Wonder what it could be?” Dean asked.

“No idea. I told them when the weather breaks, I’d head that way and see what is there.”

“Well, I’m starting dinner, Sammy, you wanna chop some onions for me?”

“Sure,” he replied going to the sink to wash his hands.

Dena rummaged in the cabinets finding the frying pan he needed and sat it on the burner. He turned on the old radio that sat on the fridge letting the music fill the air. He got out the ground beef, cans of tomatoes, packet of chili seasoning mix and got to work getting the chili ready to simmer. Sam peeled the onion and chopped it so Dean could add it to the ground beef he was cooking. It wasn’t long before enticing aromas filled the kitchen as Dean turned down the burner so the chili could simmer and let the flavors blend. 

Sam was still amazed that Dean had learned to cook and could turn out some enticing meals. He munched on an apple as he watched Dean move around the kitchen deciding to make cornbread to go with the chili. He rubbed his head still feeling some pain behind his eyes, but most had gone away with his nap. He tried not to let his worries depress him knowing they were doing all they could to stop this new threat. There wasn’t much that could be done now what with the weather working against them. Sam couldn’t help but laugh when Dean started singing to a song as he shuffled across the kitchen floor. If only all days could be like this and not having to worry about the next big baddie that threatened humanity, he thought as he joined Dean in the chorus of the song.

  
  


  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for coming along for the journey. John and Dean find out what was left to Mary and hopes it will help them in their search for the Colt. It looks like John will hang around for a while after all. I do like comments. NC**

* * *

It was four days before the weather cleared enough for John and Dean to head to Iowa and check out what a distant relative had left Mary’s father, which was passed to Mary and then John. Dean made Sam stay behind to rest and stay out of trouble. Bobby had him helping with some research for another hunter so he wouldn’t feel abandoned and to give him something to do. He was still mad about not going but accepted doing the research Bobby needed. 

Dean had mapped out the quickest route to Ames, Iowa and checked road conditions before they left. During the day it was finally starting to warm up above freezing, thawing the frozen landscape, and allowing for traveling to start again. They took John’s truck as a precaution since it would go better in the conditions than the Impala and Dean sure didn’t want to wreck his Baby. The trip shouldn’t take over five or six hours if they didn’t run into any problems.

“Any idea why Mom would be getting whatever this inheritance is?” Dean asked after they been driving for a little over an hour.

“The attorney said it was actually left for Mary’s father and if he wasn’t alive it was to be passed down to her,” John informed him. “I did find out that Samuel Campbell was a hunter and most of the Campbell family were. Maybe it’s some books or things to do with that.”

“I didn’t know that,” Dean mulled. “So, Mom knew about what was out there and did she hunt?”

“Yeah, until her parents were killed, and we were married. She gave it all up to be a mom and wife. She never told me any of it, wanting to keep it out of our lives. I found out from other hunters that knew your grandfather, and Missouri after she was killed.”

“Oh,” Dean mumbled as he thought this new knowledge over. “Mom was a hunter; it’s kind of hard to picture that.” If the demon hadn’t come for Sam, they might have been a normal family. He wondered what that would feel like and if it could have lasted. He had a feeling that if Mary hadn’t been killed, they would still have ended up becoming hunters. 

Dean had a feeling destiny had that planned for them all alone. He moved to turn on the radio and found a station to both of their likings and stared out the window at the snow-covered landscape as he drummed his fingers on his leg to the music. He let his mind drift away wondering what his Mom would think of the things that had happened to them since her death, especially what had happened to Sammy with him having powers.

John looked over at his son and saw that faraway look on his face and knew he was contemplating something and was lost in his own thoughts. He couldn’t help but see how much he looked like his mother and fought back the tears that pricked his eyes. Even after all these years, it still hurt to think about her and how she had been taken from all of them. They drove in silence except for the music playing from the radio. Neither felt the need for conversation as they sped toward Ames, Iowa. 

**spn**

They were getting closer to their destination when John spoke up, “I figure we’ll grab something to eat and then find this attorney’s office to see what this is about.”

“Sounds good to me,” Dean replied being pulled from his thoughts.

“Depends on how long it takes, we might need to get a room for the night and start back the next day. It’s going to be freezing or below at night and the roads may freeze back over from the melt.”

“Good idea. Once we see what we’re going to do, I’ll call Sammy and let him know so he won’t worry.”

“Good. Don’t need to add the additional stress on him right now.”

“Dad, if we don’t find the Colt, how are we going to stop the Devil’s Gate from being opened?”

“I guess we’ll have to stop the guy that’s going to do it. Whatever it takes. We know nothing about this other demon, but what Bobby found and that wasn’t good. He’s even stronger than Azazel and if he plans on breaking the devil from his Cage, well, we’ve got to find a way to stop him before that happens.”

“Yeah, the devil walking the earth wouldn’t be a good thing,” Dean surmised.

“Do you think Sam is strong enough to stop him?”

“I honestly don’t know. I mean he’s doing things and it’s like second nature to him now. He’s damn good and it seems like he’s getting stronger the more he practices. Guess we won’t know until we face the bastard.”

“If we find the Colt first, maybe we won’t have to face him.”

“I don’t think we’ll be that lucky. If we do find the Colt, I think he’ll come gunning for it. If it’s that important to his plan, he’ll want it.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of. He might be too strong for us and I don’t want to see you boys get hurt.”

“Same goes for you and Bobby. We’ll just have to be prepared is all.”

“I hope you’re right,” John said falling into silence again. They didn’t have a way of killing the demon, except with Sam’s powers. His one concern was what it would do to Sam to use that much power to take him out. They didn’t speak more about it as John saw a sign for Ames and moved over a lane so he could take the exit they needed.

**spn**

After finishing their meal, John and Dean looked up the address and got directions from the hostess to the attorney’s office. They headed a few streets over to the business district and found a parking lot nearby. Father and son clutched their heavy jackets to their bodies as they trudged down the street to the office building. John looked at the listings for the place and found the offices on the third floor. Dean saw a sign for the stairs and headed for them. Neither liked elevators and the confinement of them and much preferred stairs. 

“Can I help you?” a middle-aged receptionist asked as they stepped into the office.

“I was contacted by a Chris a few days ago to come in to see him. Name’s John Winchester. It’s regarding my late wife, Mary Campbell Winchester.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No, I didn’t know when we’d be able to get here with the weather.”

“If you’ll have a seat I’ll see if he can see you,” she said getting up to head down a hall lined with doors.

Dean and John moved to the chairs lining one wall and took a seat to wait. Dean picked up a magazine and began to thumb through it hoping this wasn’t going to take too long. 

The receptionist came back out and came over to them. “He says he can see you in thirty minutes if you don’t mind waiting.”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” John said.

“Would either of you like something to drink? Coffee, water, juice?”

“Coffee would be good,” John nodded.

“Coffee does sound good,” Dean said. He hoped it might take the chill out of his body.

“How do you take it?”

“Black’s fine for both of us and thank you.”

She turned and left and came back a few minutes later with two cups of coffee. Both men thanked her and settled back to wait until the attorney could see them. They were in luck and twenty minutes later a young man in his thirties stepped into the waiting room and over to them.

“Gentlemen, thank you for waiting. I’m Chris, if you’ll follow me, we can get this business taken care of,” he greeted them and led them to an office near the back of the hallway. John and Dean took the offered seats across from Chris.

“I’m John Winchester and my son Dean,” John introduced them.

“Nice to meet both of you. Let me see, I have the file somewhere…” Chris mumbled moving folders around on his desk until he found the one, he wanted. “You were the husband to a Mary Campbell, correct?”

“Yes,” John replied.

“It seems a distant relative on her father’s side, a Josiah Campbell, passed away and left his possessions to her father and since he is not alive it would pass down to Mary, his only child. Since she has passed too, you inherit it,” he explained.

“What exactly are these possessions?”

“I have no idea. This is the address for a storage facility here in town and the key and number to a storage unit and there is a letter from Josiah Campbell addressed to Samuel Campbell that will be yours as well. Whatever is inside is yours to do with as you please. All I need from you are a couple of signatures and we’ll be done here,” he stated flipping a couple of pages and marking where John needed to sign.

John leaned forward and took the offered pen and scratched out his name. He accepted the paper and a key from the attorney looking at the address on it. 

“Thank you for braving the weather out there and coming here to settle this matter. I wish you safe travels home,” Chris told them as he got up and shook their hands. 

“Thank you,” John said shaking his outstretched hand. “Let’s go son.”

Dean got up shaking the attorney’s hand and moved toward the office door. John followed him back to the front where he asked the receptionist where the storage facility was located and received directions. They headed out and back down the truck.

**spn**

“What do you think is in this storage unit?” Dean asked once they were in the truck.

“Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe this letter will tell us something,” John said. He carefully tore open the envelope and pulled out a folder letter. After skimming through it he sat back with a surprised look on his face.

“What does it say?”

“It seems this Josiah Campbell was a hunter and was injured on a hunt and couldn’t continue anymore. He was given the job as historian, for a better term, of the Campbell legacy. Any journals, books, weapons, whatever to do with hunting were passed down to him for safe keeping. Any Campbells that died, that were hunters, their possessions were sent to him.”

“Wow! There’s no telling what we’ll find in there then.”

John pulled back on the main road and headed across town to a large storage facility. He made his way into the place and started looking for the number on the paper. It was near the back and one of the smaller units. He parked in front of it and got out. He took the key and unlocked the heavy-duty lock on the door and let Dean pull it up on screechy rollers. 

“Damn!” Dean said looking around.

They looked into the unit to find boxes stacked on one side, several small filing cabinets, a work bench that had equipment to load your own bullets, numerous weapons scattered across it and in the back corner Dean found curse boxes sitting on a metal shelfing unit.

“Dad look at these,” Dean said holding up a curse box with sigils carved into it. “He even has curse boxes.”

“Yeah, I see,” John noted pulling a couple of books from the box to see they were all on the supernatural. He opened one of the boxes to find journals. “These are from Campbells that were hunters,” John said looking up at Dean. “Some of these things are old. There might be some information we can use in them.”

“So, what are we going to do with this stuff?”

“Get a U-Haul and take it back to Bobby’s. There might be some useful information in these boxes; maybe even a lead on the Colt.”

“Looks like we can rent a trailer here. I saw some coming in.”

“Alright, let’s go see what they have, and we’ll get this packed up and head home.”

John stepped from the unit and Dean closed it back so they could head to the office and rent a trailer and turn the unit in. Once all the paperwork was done, they hitched the trailer to the truck and went back to empty the storage unit. Using the dolly provided with the trailer, they had the unit emptied in about two hours. They filled the back of John’s truck with a single layer of boxes and put the cover over them to protect against the weather. Once everything was secured, they closed the unit and headed out for Sioux Falls. 

“Sammy’s going to be over the moon when he sees what we have.”

“Why’s that Dean?”

“He’ll have all those books and journals to bury his nose in. You know how he is with research. He’ll not surface for a week. It’ll be like letting a kid loose in a candy store.”

“You are going to help go through them too, right?” John asked arching an eyebrow at him.

“Of course,” Dean scoffed.

“Why do I not believe that?” John chuckled as Dean has the decency to blush and become really interested in the scenery.

If the weather held out, John hoped to get back to the salvage yard by dark. He was having to take his time since they were pulling the trailer behind them and the roads were still icy in spots. Dean settled down and watched the passing landscape before he began to nod off. John looked over at him and smiled to himself. It felt good to have his sons back in his life once again.

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Sam was in the living room watching the old television with Bobby as he kept an ear out for his father’s truck. Dean had called him to let him know they were on their way back. He wouldn’t tell him what they had gotten, that it was a surprise. This had Sam wondering what it could be and speculated an array of things. He was getting anxious and it was showing. 

“Sam, they will be here soon, stop fidgeting,” Bobby told him when he saw his leg bouncing up and down and he was squirming in his seat on the couch.

“I know, I just hope they don’t run into any bad weather or accidents,” he replied. “I just wish they would get here.”

“You know yer brother would’ve called if they were delayed.”

“Yeah, you’re right. But he was so cryptic on the phone. Just said I would be liking what they were bringing back. What do you think it is Bobby?” he asked slumping back on the couch. He tried to concentrate on the television screen and what they were watching but couldn’t keep his mind on it.

“I don’t know son; guess we’ll have to wait until they get here to see.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure Sam.”

“Do you think other hunters will want to harm me or even kill me if they know what I can do? That I have psychic powers even though I’m not using them for evil.”

Bobby sat back in his chair and pulled his hat off to rub his hand through his thinning hair before putting it back on. 

“I’m not going to lie to you Sam, there are probably some out there that would shoot first and ask questions later. Hunters are like people; you have good ones and bad ones. Let’s just hope there are more good ones than bad. I would advise you not to go spouting off about it.”

“I hadn’t planned on it. I’m going to stay as far under the radar as I can,” he assured the older hunter.

“That’s good boy,” Bobby said.

They both looked toward the darkened windows when headlights shown in the room.

“It’s them!” Sam said quickly jumping from the couch and running for the door. He grabbed a jacket off the peg on the wall near the door and worked his arms into it before opening the door and stepping out onto the porch. “Hey, glad you’re back,” Sam greeted them hugging his jacket tightly to his body. He eyed the trailer attached to the back of the truck, curious to know what was in it.

“It’s freezing out here dude, get back inside,” Dean insisted as he stepped on the step and had his foot go out from under him. “Damnit!” he yelled trying to get his balance and not fall in the drifts of snow around the steps.

“I got ya,” Sam said. He quickly latched onto his brother’s arm and jerked him forward and onto the porch. “So, what’s in the trailer?”

“It can wait until morning Sam,” John told him doing better than Dean getting up the steps.

“Yeah bro, if we show you, there will be no sleeping tonight and you need to rest. And more than a couple of hours like you’ve been doing. I know you’ve been sneaking back downstairs when you think I’m asleep.”

“At least give me a hint. I promise I’ll sleep,” Sam begged giving his best puppy dog begging eyes.

“C’mon in and we’ll tell both of you together,” John conceded with a huff. “But we don’t start unloading until tomorrow.”

“Deal,” he said giving Dean a smirk that he won that battle.

“Don’t let it go to your head bro.”

They headed inside and quickly shut the door to keep the cold out. 

“Bobby,” John greeted him as he shed his jacket and gloves.

“I see you two made it back in one piece. Was it worth the trip?”

“I’d say yes. We have the journals, letters, books, weapons, notes, and other things from hunters in the Campbell family. Seems this Josiah Campbell became the caretaker for it all and passed it to Mary’s father, Samuel. Since he’s gone, it passed to Mary. Seems there were a lot of hunters in the Campbell family including Mary until her parents were killed. She never told me, but I sensed there was something she was hiding all those years.”

“Did you say books and journals?” Sam popped up excitement in his eyes. “Wait, did you say Mom was a hunter?”

“Yes, geek boy, but you’ll have to wait until tomorrow before looking at it. It’s dark and too cold to be unloading anything tonight. And yep, Mom was brought up in the life. It’s hard to picture her hunting.”

“There’s coffee in the kitchen and leftovers if you’re hungry.”

“We ate on the way, but I will take that cup of coffee,” John replied. He headed for the kitchen leaving the others in the living room.

“Well, I for one am calling it an early night. I’ll see you guys in the morning,” Dean grunted as he rolled his shoulders and yawned. “You coming Sammy?”

“Yeah, I guess,” he answered his voice sounding disappointed that he couldn’t start looking at the things they brought back tonight. His shoulders slumped as he trudged after Dean and headed up the stairs.

**spn**

The temperatures were starting to slowly warm up now and it was above freezing allowing for some of the ice coated surroundings to start melting. Sam was up early and anxious to unload the truck and trailer. He had coffee going and was looking in the fridge for something for breakfast when Bobby and John strolled in.

“You’re up early son,” John commented but already knew the reason.

“Where’s yer brother?” Bobby asked.

“Still sleeping I guess,” Sam shrugged pulling eggs, milk, and butter from the fridge. “I didn’t want to wake him. He can be a bear if he doesn’t get enough sleep or is woken too early. He’s grumpy the rest of the day.”

“Let him rest then,” John agreed. “We need to decide where to put the things we brought back and get the trailer unloaded so I can return it.”

“Well, some could go down in the panic room and basement,” Bobby offered.

“You have a panic room?” Sam asked in surprise.

“Yeah, I had a free weekend.”

“I figure the journals, books, and letters can go up here until we see what we have.”

“I can start unloading things,” Sam offered, ready to make a dash for the front door.

“After we eat.”

“Alright,” Sam pouted. “Eggs and toast okay? Or I can put on some oatmeal.”

“That’s fine son, whichever you want to fix.”

“Eggs and toast it is.” Sam busied himself fixing breakfast because he wanted to start unloading the truck and see what treasures might be among the boxes. The eggs were quickly scrambled, and toast make. Sam fixed three plates and sat them at the table so he could pour a cup of coffee for himself. Once he had it doctored to his liking, Sam joined them at the table, and they started eating making small talk as they finished their meal.

“Leave the dishes, we’ll get them later,” Bobby said. “Might as well get started unloading the trailer and truck.”

“We’ve got a dolly so that’ll help for the boxes. Is there room in the basement for a workbench? They had the equipment for loading your own shells.”

“We can put it in the corner somewhere down there. May have to move a few things around.”

“Guess we should get started then,” John said getting up and taking his dishes to the sink.

Sam followed him doing the same and hurried into the other room to get his heavy jackets and gloves. He met John at the door and followed him to the truck. John got the dolly from the trailer and opened the cover for the truck bed. Sam began to sit boxes on the dolly stacking them five high before wheeling them to the steps and carefully pulling it up them. He steered it into the living room and slid the dolly out to take it back out for another load. He did this four more times and let John move the truck around to the side door that led into the basement. He helped Bobby and John carry the workbench inside and moved the other things into the basement. Bobby stored the curse boxes in a cabinet that had a lock for safe keeping until they could decide what to do with them.

John and Bobby headed into town to return the trailer and Sam stood in the living room looking at the boxes like it was Christmas all over again. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation as he pulled a knife out to slice through the tape to open the first box. He found stacks of books on lore, creatures, spells, and supernatural. Not interested in this, he moved to the next. After going through and separating the boxes by content, Sam dropped to the floor with boxes opened filled with journals, communications, and notes. He opened a journal noting the date and whose it was before slowly flipping through it and reading some of the scratchy writing. The pages were yellowed with age and he was careful not to tear them.

**spn**

Dean walked down the stairs rubbing his face and faltered at the bottom when he saw his brother sitting in the floor surrounded by open boxes with several journals in his lap reading one of them. His face had a look of excitement and a fever wanting to devour everything he could. He didn’t even look up or acknowledge Dean as he moved on into the room and headed into the kitchen for coffee. He knew there was no use talking to Sam when he was in his own little world and zoned everything else out. He poured his coffee and stood in the doorway watching Sam for a few minutes before sighing and moving into the room. He saw a box of what looked like letters and pulled it to the couch and sat down. He pulled out a rubber banded stack of letters and pulled one out to read it.

It was mid-morning before John and Bobby pulled up to the house and parked. They got out and headed inside to find Sam still in the floor and Dean splayed out on the couch with letters stacked around him. He looked up when they entered and sat up.

“Hey, I think Sammy separated the boxes. There’s books over there near your office Bobby if you want to look at them.”

“Find anything interesting?” John asked Sam but didn’t get a response.

“He’s not going to answer you. When he’s like this, nothing will get through to him,” Dean told John. 

“Have _you_ found anything?”

“Not really, but I’ve only got through part of this box,” he sighed rubbing his eyes. “I need a break; I’m going crossed eyed.”

“Holy crap!” Sam spoke, looking up finally and seeing the others in the room.

“What ya got there Sammy?” Dean asked turning to him.

“Look at this,” he said trying to get up and almost falling. John grabbed Sam to steady him as he tried to get his wobbly legs under him. He held it out to Bobby and John to read as he stretched and popped his back.

“What?” Dean asked again, slightly irritated at being left out.

“I think it’s a cure for a vampire biting a person,” Sam told him.

“You’re shitting me?” Dean replied moving to where he could see the book.

“Is it feasible? Could it be made up?” Sam asked.

“I think it can. It says the bitten person cannot have fed on human blood and you need the blood of the vampire that bit them for the cure,” John said. 

“This is something we can use and pass on to other hunters,” Bobby agreed nodding to Sam.

“This is a good find son,” John praised him seeing Sam smile shyly. “Just don’t tire yourself out reading all this. It doesn’t have to be done in one day you know.”

“I’ll get you something to drink Sammy,” Dean offered. He walked stiffly toward the kitchen and grabbed a couple bottles of waters before going back into the living room. “Drink something.”

“Okay,” Sam replied accepting the water. He uncapped it and took a couple of swallows and walked around the room trying to stretch his body from sitting on the floor for so long. He still felt a little shaky from the last vision he had but didn’t want to say anything. They had been treating him with kid gloves and it upset him.

“Sam why don’t you get a chair or move the box to the couch and sit down to read them. It’ll be more comfortable,” John told him seeing him wincing with pain. He was still wrapping his head around his son having powers. Seeing him have a vision scared him and he wasn’t sure how to handle it.

Sam looked to the floor and over to the couch and back like he was deciding if it was a good idea or not.

“C’mon Sammy, join me on the couch,” Dean offered as he went back to sit down. “It’ll be softer on the butt. Everyone, grab a box, see if we can find anything else useful.”

Bobby and John took a seat and picked a box to start looking at the contents. They all read quietly as the day moved forward and morning became afternoon. Dean made sandwiches and they stopped long enough to eat a quick meal before beginning again. 

The sun was sinking toward the horizon, and Dean was reading one of the last letters in his box when he suddenly sat up straight with smiled widely.

“Bingo!” he said loudly.

The others looked at him, curious to see what he had found.

“Listen to this, _‘I have spoken with Bennett and the weapon was said to have been found by a salon owner named Elkins. Not sure how they obtained it, but it might be what we have been looking for. Will pass this information on to the family…’_. Doesn’t that sound like the Colt?” he asked looking up at the others.

Bobby and John exchanged a look thinking they may have found their first clue to where the Colt might be. John accepted the letter and read it over before handing it to Bobby for inspection.

* * *

* * *

  
  
**A/N: They find their first clues on the Colt with the hopes it will lead them to who has it now. Thanks for coming along on this journey and I hope you enjoy it. I do like comments. NC**

  
  


  
  



	4. Chapter 4

Sam watched the letter being passed around and didn’t comment as it finally came to him to read. He looked up when John made a comment.

“I knew a hunter named Elkins when I first started hunting. He mainly hunted vampires if I remember right. Sort of a loner and stayed off the radar as much as he could. He taught me a lot, but we parted ways over a petty disagreement. I wonder if he could be a descendant of the one mentioned in that letter?” John surmised.

“We need to contact Ash and see what he can find out about him then. Any idea where he might be now?” Bobby questioned. 

“No, that was nearly sixteen years ago, he could be anywhere or maybe even dead,” John said.

“Does this mean we can stop reading?” Dean asked hopefully only to get his hopes crushed when John answered him.

“No, there might be more, we need to go through it all,” John told him to get a look of disgust from him and roll of his eyes.

Sam buried his head into the journal he was reading so Dean wouldn’t see him trying to hold in the laugh that was threatening to come out. He looked toward Bobby when he stepped back into the room frowning with a puzzled look on his face.

“Can’t get anyone at the Roadhouse,” Bobby told them. “Someone should have answered the phone.”

“Maybe they’re in bed like we should probably be,” Dean suggests as he stretched his arms over his head and yawned. “It is pretty late; did we have dinner?”

“You’ve already forgot?” Sam asked in surprise. “Dude! It wasn’t all that long ago.”

“I don’t even get voicemail for Ash or Ellen. Something doesn’t seem right,” Bobby continued. “I have this uneasy feeling…”

“What if me and Sammy go check it out?” Dean asked shaking his body awake and figured anything was better than sitting here another four hours reading this stuff. “If we left now, we could probably be there in four or five hours.”

“I thought you were sleepy?” Sam questioned.

“This is more important, let’s get our bags,” Dean said. He pushed up from the couch before anyone could say differently. 

“Wait,” Sam said stopping Dean’s forward motion. “Let me see if I can see anything with astral projection.”

John looked at his son and frowned slightly but tried to keep his facial features neutral. This was something new that he hadn’t heard Sam talk about before. He stayed in his seat and gave his full attention to Sam as he watched him. He knew what astral projection was because he had gotten help over the years from several witches. This made him feel uneasy to see his son doing it, but he pushed his feelings down hoping Sam wouldn’t sense them.

Sam leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes as he drew in some slow, even breaths to clear his mind. He worked on releasing himself and pulled free from his body. He looked up to see the others looking at his ghostly form with wondering eyes as he stepped away from the couch.

“I know creepy, right?” Sam said holding up his hand to see how transparent it was. “I’ll be back.” 

Sam concentrated on the Roadhouse as he closed his eyes and felt himself traveling through space until he was standing outside the structure. It was dark but there were lights on inside. He stepped to the doors and started to go inside when a scream pierced the air sending cold chills up his spine. He couldn’t move for a moment until he heard loud noises from inside. There was something definitely going on and it wasn’t a good thing.

Sam moved around to look in a curtained window and saw people on their knees with their hands tied behind their backs in the middle of the bar where it was clear for dancing. There were others walking around them that when he got a good look had black eyes. He sucked in a sharp breath as one of the demons, yelled at one of the men kneeling before pulling out a gun and shooting him. Sam was thrown back into his body with such force that he couldn’t breathe at first. He came to enough to know he was laying on the couch and Dean was talking to him as he patted his cheeks looking worried.

“We need to go to the Roadhouse now,” he gasped out struggling to get up as the room turned sideways. His balance was off, and he felt sick.

“What did you see?” Dean asked helping him to stand when Sam wouldn’t stay seated.

“Demons, and they had hunters held hostage in the Roadhouse, torturing them. They’ve already killed one of them.”

“Was Ellen there?” Bobby asked quickly.

“No, I didn’t see her. I’m not sure,” Sam mumbled rubbing his temples as a dull ached started.

“Bobby, you can ride with me,” John stated. “Let’s get our bags and weapons and get on the road.”

“I’ll keep trying to call Ellen, and will let you know if I get anyone,” Bobby told the brothers. He headed for his bedroom to get his gear.

Sam followed his brother upstairs to get their bags too. He grabbed his duffle and threw some things into it and stopped by the bathroom, passing Dean as he came out. “I’ll be ready in a minute.”

“Alright. You good to come Sammy?” Dean questioned him as he grabbed his arm to stop him from walking.

“I’m fine,” he insisted wishing they would quit treating him like he was going to break or something. He closed the door of the bathroom in his brother’s face before he could say anything else. He pushed back his anger knowing it was just as hard on them watching him use his psychic abilities and not freak out. He relieved himself and grabbed his bathroom bag and headed back into the bedroom to pack it. The room was empty, and he hurriedly zipped the duffle and headed downstairs, wanting to get on the road as soon as possible. He had a feeling they weren’t going to get there in time to save any of the hunters, but they had to try.

Dean drove the Impala toward the main road leading out of Sioux Falls to pick up the interstate and head south toward Nebraska. John and Bobby followed behind them keeping pace. They both had full tanks of gas and wouldn’t have to stop along the way. Once he got to the interstate, Dean set a fast pace, being wary of the conditions of the road. They were lucky that the weather had warmed enough to make the roads passable and the further they drove south, the better they became.

Sam was tense and agitated from what he had seen, and it ate at him that he couldn’t do anything about it. He knew there were going to be hunters dying at the demon’s hands that didn’t deserve it. His leg started bouncing in the wheel well and he clenched his hands into fists as he sat stiffly in the passenger seat.

“It’s not your fault Sammy,” Dean whispered to him feeling the tension rolling off him. “Stop blaming yourself, you didn’t know.”

Sam turned his head to look at the window so Dean wouldn’t see the tears building up in them. Deep, deep down he had a feeling it was, but he just didn’t know the whole story yet. 

**spn**

Dean slowed as they near the turnoff for the Roadhouse. It was almost dawn, and he frowned when he saw smoke, lazily swirling upward ahead of them in the area where the Roadhouse should be. He knew this couldn’t be good and pressed on the gas wanting to get there faster. He skidded to a stop in the parking lot, dodging a couple of cars and threw himself from the Impala. He ran to the structure that was engulfed in flames trying to see if he could get inside.

“No Dean!” Sam yelled holding him back. “There’s no one alive in there. I can feel it. You don’t need to endanger your life trying to get in to look.”

They stepped back from the heat the burning structure was putting off and looked on as the flames devoured everything they could. One wall collapsed sending showers of sparks high into the air to float slowly back to the ground as ash. Bobby had his cell out calling the fire department and John went to his sons, laying a hand on each of their shoulders.

“We couldn’t have gotten here in time. This place has been burning for a while,” he told them watching the building collapse in on itself and hearing the small pops of liquor bottles exploding inside fueling the fire. 

“What about Ellen?” Dean asked. “And Ash? What if Jo was in there?”

“We won’t know until the fire’s put out and see if there’s any bodies inside,” Bobby said. “The fire department is on the way. We should probably move our vehicles out of the way.”

“Yeah,” Dean mumbled still in shock. He took a step back not able to take his eyes off the collapsing structure. He cringed as another wall collapsed with a loud whoosh, making the flames jump higher in the still dark sky since the sun had not made an appearance yet. It would be another hour or more before dawn broke across the land. 

“Let me,” Sam told him taking the keys and stepping to the Impala. He started it up and backed it back to the road and pulled it to the side out of the way. 

John moved his truck behind the Impala and got out to walk with Sam to where Dean and Bobby were standing. No one spoke since none knew what to say. They waited in silence until the soft wail of a siren could be heard heading their way. It finally drew closer until the fire truck pulled into the parking lot and firemen jumped out springing into action.

“Is there anyone in there?” the captain asked them.

“Not alive,” Sam whispered looked down at the ground trying to keep his emotions pushed back. 

“It was blazing too much by the time we got here. You couldn’t get near the place, but we didn’t find anyone outside that got out,” John relayed. 

“If you please step back out of our way,” the captain told them. “The police are on their way; they will have questions for you about the fire.”

They watched the firemen pulling hoses out and setting up to spray water on the burning structure, dousing the angry flames that didn’t want to go out. There wasn’t much left of the place as the flames were beat back by the heavy force of the water. Fire fighters used long poles to pull down dangerous unstable beams and stirred the smothering mounds to be sure the fire was out. 

“Captain!” one fighter called from inside the ruins. 

The captain hurried to his man to see what he had found and swore under his breath. He had uncovered several burned bodies and looked around when another fire fighter found a couple more. He ordered his men out, knowing this was a crime scene now and the police would want to preserve whatever evidence they could.

“Did you know the owner of this place?” the captain asked as he stepped back to the four hunters.

“Yes, she was a friend. Name’s Ellen Harvelle,” Bobby told him. “We had tried to call her and couldn’t get through. That’s why we headed down here to check on her. We drove through the night to get here.”

“There are bodies in the rubble, but we can’t tell if any are female. I’m sorry I don’t have better news.”

Sam paled and swayed slightly until Dean grabbed him to keep him standing. Dean could feel his body trembling under his hands. Sam thought of Jo and wondered if she was laying among the blackened rubble somewhere, charred, and burned beyond recognition. He couldn’t get the picture out of his mind. He couldn’t stop the tears from filling his eyes and tried to blink them away, but they dripped down his face before he could wipe them away. 

More sirens could be heard drawing closer now and they knew the local law enforcement was almost there. John mumbled to Dean to take Sam to the car out of the cold and away from all the commotion. He nodded and steered his brother to the Impala putting him in the passenger seat. He went around and climbed in to start the car so he could turn the heat on high to warm his brother’s cold body. He would let Bobby and their father handle the cops for now and talk to them only if they needed to. Dean wanted to shield Sam from what he could as long as he could, knowing this was devastating to him and he was hurting.

* * *

**A/N: There goes one resource and sorry that I had to kill Ash off. I love writing him. How do you like the twist I threw in here? I hope you enjoyed the tension and emotions playing out here. I do like comments; they make my day. NC**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: The Roadhouse is gone and so is their best resource. Sam is taking it hard and I will throw in a twist in the next chapter. Thank you for taking this journey with me. Comments would be great. NC**

* * *

“What if Ellen and Jo are in there?” Sam asked quietly as he hugged his arms around his body. His voice was shaking, and he couldn’t seem to warm his cold body.

“We can’t think that way. When you came here, think; did you see Ellen or Jo anywhere in the bar?” Dean asked hoping to steer his mind away from that.

Sam leaned forward and closed his eyes as he tried to bring up the images he had seen when he projected here earlier. He pulled the scene up in his mind and froze it trying to study it. There were four people kneeling on the floor with hands tied and they were all male. He looked at each one and suddenly leaned back as he drew in a sharp, ragged breath.

“Sammy? What is it?”

“Ash was in there,” he whispered looking up at Dean with a pained expression. “I didn’t see Ellen or Jo though.”

“Damnit!” Dean growled slapping the steering wheel hard and then absently gently rubbed it mumbling, “Sorry Baby.” Dean rolled the window down when John walked over to them to see what he wanted.

“Why don’t you and Sam go get a room at the motel we passed coming in and we’ll join you when we’re through with the cops?”

“Do they need to talk to us?”

“We told them you followed us here, so you don’t know any more than we do. We’re waiting to see if any of the bodies can be identified.”

“Sammy said Ash was in there,” Dean mumbled to him.

John looked toward the burned down structure and cursed softly under his breath. That was going to be a huge loss for them to lose their computer genius. It might be a setback, but it wouldn’t stop them from moving forward.

“Want us to get you and Bobby a room?”

“Might as well. I think the locals will want to talk to us again later.”

“Alright, we’ll see you there. I’ll leave the key at the front desk for you,” Dean nodded rolling his window up and carefully pulling from the scene. He drove around the vehicles and made his way back down the road toward the motel. He felt his brother’s relief of not having to talk to the locals about the fire. It didn’t take him long to get back to the motel John mentioned and pulled into the parking lot and up to the office. “You stay here, and I’ll go get us a couple of rooms.”

“Fine with me,” Sam mumbled happy to just sit there and wait. His mind was in chaos over the recent events and he wondered where Ellen and Jo were and if anything had happened to them. He prayed they were somewhere safe and would contact them soon. He didn’t have to wait long before Dean was back and moved the car around to the back and to a corner room, parking in front of it.

“C’mon Sammy; after driving part of the night, I’m ready for a nap,” Dean said. He got out and opened the trunk to get their bags before opening the door to the room. He stopped Sam from entering so he could check it out first and then let him pass.

Sam knew the routine and waited patiently in the doorway for his brother to do a walkthrough before letting him enter. He knew Dean wanted to check it to be sure everything was okay. He went to the second bed away from the door and dropped his bag by it before taking a seat. Sam waited for Dean to finish in the bathroom so he could use it and he was going to do what Dean suggested, take a nap and hoped he could get warm. He shivered and rubbed his arms trying to warm his body.

“All yours bro,” Dean called to him, breaking him out of his trance.

“Okay,” Sam said. He got up and moved into the bathroom to use it.

Dean sat down on the bed and unlaced his boots to take them off. He turned off the overhead light and pulled the curtains casting the room into dim shadows. He settled on his bed and adjusted his pillows under his head as he tried to relax and stop driving. His eyes were closed when he heard Sam come from the bathroom and could tell he was taking off his boots and climbing into his bed. It wasn’t long before Sam had settled and it became quiet in the room, only the occasional noises from outside filtering in.

Sam buried deep under all the covers hoping to keep what warmth he had inside of him. Once he got comfortable and still, he could feel his body slowly beginning to warm. He shivered uncontrollably for a few minutes until his body began to heat and he was able to relax enough to doze.

**spn**

Dean was woken suddenly by loud knocking on their door and stumbled from the bed with gun in hand to see who it was. He held the gun to the back of the door as he cracked it open to see their father standing there. He dropped the gun to his side and moved to let him in.

“It’s dinner time, thought you guys might be hungry and want to get something to eat,” John said looking to the bed to see Sam raising his head and staring bleary eyed at him.

“Give us a couple of minutes,” Dean told him going back to the bed to sit down and find his boots. “You awake over there Sammy?”

“Yeah, getting there,” Sam mumbled rubbing his face and trying to wake up his body. He sat up and swung his feet to the floor and sat there for a moment before looking around for his boots so he could put them on. He got up and shuffled to the bathroom to use it before they left.

“How did it go with the cops?” Dean asked their father.

“About like you’d expect. We told them what they needed to know and how the place was on fire when we got there, and we called the fire department.”

“Could they tell what started the fire?”

“They think a gas leak and then something exploded in the kitchen.”

“Sam didn’t think Ellen or Jo were in there, did they find them?”

“They found four bodies none were female as far as they could tell. One was Ash and the other three were hunters.”

“You think they were trying to get information on the Colt?”

“My best guess. Not sure how they knew how to go there, but this makes finding the gun even more urgent.”

“I’m ready,” Sam said as he stepped from the bathroom smoothing down his hair.

“One of these days Sammy…” Dean trailed off doing a scissor action with his fingers. 

“Bite me,” he muttered back giving his hair one more brush with his fingers before grabbing his jacket to put on.

They headed out and John stepped to the other door below them to let Bobby know they were ready. Dean unlocked the Impala and dropped behind the wheel. Sam took the passenger seat and Bobby and John got in back. He pulled from the lot and drove a few miles down the road where the restaurants were. One was picked and they went inside to have a meal, none in the mood for conversation, so they ate in silence. 

Sam picked up on the grief and worry inside each of them but kept quiet, not wanting to draw attention to himself. He had no appetite but forced himself to eat small bites of his salad and grilled chicken. He could feel Dean’s eyes on him knowing he was watching to be sure ate something. He never made eye contact as he pondered why he never saw a vision of the Roadhouse being burned down. If they had known, they could have warned them or got there in time to stop the deaths, he thought. His stomach rolled and rebelled the food he was forcing inside of him and he stopped not wanting to puke everywhere.

“I’ll get you a doggie bag,” Dean commented a few minutes later when he saw the sickly look on Sam’s face and that he had stopped eating. He knew he was blaming himself; Dean could see it in his eyes as he glanced up for a second before casting his eyes back down. He would have to talk to him when they got back to their room or he was going to have a very moody, withdrawn, little brother to deal with. He signaled a waitress and put in his request and to get two drinks to go. 

The waitress came by a few minutes later with his drinks and container for Sam’s uneaten food. Dean thanked her and took Sam’s plate to transfer the food to it. “You ready to go?” he asked the others seeing they were done.

John dug some money out for the bill and Bobby threw some bills down for the tip. They got up and headed out, the brothers and Bobby going to the car while John waited in line to pay. When he came out and settled in the backseat, Dean cranked up his Baby and drove back to the motel. They gathered in John and Bobby’s room to discuss what they needed to do next.

It had gotten dark and the brothers were ready to go back to their room when a soft, quick knock sounded at the door. Everyone looked at the other and found weapons as Dean went to the door to answer it.

“Damn! Ellen!” he exclaimed as she fell into his arms. He pulled her inside and shut the door behind her, looking first to be sure no one saw her.

The others looked at her in shock and lowered their weapons. She looked distraught and scared as she gazed at the hunters, her breathing coming hard and fast. She was scared and looked on the verge of passing out. 


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Ellen has found them, but things aren’t what they seem. Thank you for taking this journey with me. I do like comments. NC**

* * *

“Sit her down over here son,” Bobby said pulling a chair out for Ellen.

Dean quickly shuffled her to the chair and sat her down. Ellen collapsed into it, panting hard as she tried to get her breath. 

“Here drink this,” John offered holding a bottle of opened water out to her.

She took it with trembling hands and managed to get it to her lips to gulp down several long swallows. She coughed and leaned forward like it was hard for her to hold herself up. 

“What happened Ellen?” Bobby asked pulling a chair beside her and taking her cold hands in his.

“I had gone to get pretzels, we ran out,” she mumbled, he eyes glazed and a vacant look on her face. “When I came back…The first thing I heard were the screams coming from inside,” she sobbed softly. “They had Ash and three hunters tied up and was torturing them. It was demons. I couldn’t do anything to save them… They destroyed the place, killing everyone inside.” She stopped talking as she hung her head in grief, soft sobs coming from her.

“What about Jo?” Dean asked.

“Luckily, she was staying over with a friend. I was hoping someone would come and I saw the Impala leave and after it got dark came looking for you.” She sipped more water and tried to calm her frazzled nerves. “How did you know something was wrong?”

“We tried calling you and Ash but couldn’t get either of you,” Bobby told her.

“Sam…” Dean started and coughed when suddenly he could not talk and looked to his brother who was shaking his head no, not to say anything. He scowled at him but pinched his lips together and kept his mouth shut.

“Did Ash find anything?” John asked. “We might have found a clue…”

“Dad, Ellen doesn’t need to hear this now. She’s in shock,” Sam cautioned getting a strange feeling about Ellen. There was something wrong with her, as if she were shielding herself from him. With a little prodding he saw what it was as Ellen answered John.

“He didn’t tell me anything, I was hoping he had called you,” she sighed getting ready to make her move.

“Christo!” Sam suddenly yelled realizing now why he felt weird when Ellen came into the room. Her eyes turned black with the demon possessing her. “She’s possessed!”

Bobby jumped away from her as she sprang to her feet and pulled a gun from under her jacket. She raised it toward John but before the trigger was pulled, it was jerked from her hand and she was propelled backwards and pinned to the wall by Sam. He held her there and with eyes blazing, latched onto the demon’s soul inside of her, and began to burn it away. He would not let it escape and did not stop until it was completely destroyed. He let Ellen go and watched her slid down the wall to slump over on the floor.

“It’s gone,” Sam stated letting out the breath he was holding. “She’s free now.” He dropped to the bed as he worked on taking deep breaths.

“You okay Sammy?” Dean asked him to get a nod from him.

Bobby and John rushed to her body and got her up and to a bed. Dean went into the bathroom and wet a cloth and brought it back out. He handed it to Bobby so he could wipe her face hoping to revive her. After a minute, Ellen suddenly stared fighting and trying to get away from them until Bobby’s voice broke through her panic.

“Ellen! Hey, hey! It’s okay,” Bobby tried to assure her as he grabbed her arms to calm her. “You’re okay now. It’s gone.”

“That no good bastard, black smoked, sucking sonovabitch!” she cussed finally starting to calm. “It got me when I came back to the Roadhouse. Oh my god! Ash, no, no, they got him!” she wailed in despair as she hugged her body tightly with his arms.

“I know, I’m sorry,” Bobby told her wrapping his arms around her and holding her.

“How did you know son?” John asked looking to Sam for an answer.

“I don’t know, something nagged at me at first, and then when I really looked, I could see the black soul in her. It was like when I was kidnapped. After a few weeks, I could see them in the meat suits. It just sort of happened,” he shrugged not sure how to explain it to him.

“What did you just do?” John questioned further.

“I killed it. I burned the demon soul from her body.”

“Are you okay Ellen?” Bobby asked her.

“Hell, no, I’m not okay. I was just an asshole demon’s meat suit. Am I hurt, no, I don’t think so. Whatever Sam did, it didn’t hurt me. It felt strange and I felt on fire at first, but it went away fast. Thanks Sam, whatever you did,” she said turning her gaze to him. He looked so different than the last time she had seen him, and it was not just the beard he was still sporting. She knew he was about Jo’s age, maybe a year older, but his eyes were filled with wisdom, knowledge, and experiences that one so young should not already know.

“It was nothing,” Sam said shyly looking down at his feet for a moment. “Ellen, you can’t tell anyone what you saw me do. There are those out there that might think I’m bad or a threat and want to hurt or kill me.”

“I would never do that honey, don’t worry. I understand how you feel,” she assured him.

“Did you hear anything of why the demons attacked you?” John asked.

“They were looking for information on the Colt, just like you,” she replied. “They need it to open something, the demon that possessed me didn’t know what.”

“Damn, if Ash did find anything it’s lost now.” 

“Maybe not. Ash wanted the combination for the safe in back and I gave it to him. I haven’t had a chance to go back and see if there’s anything there yet. I didn’t want that bastard knowing about it, so I kept my thoughts all on other things so he wouldn’t see them.”

“Boys,” John said.

“On it, what’s the combo Ellen?” Dean asked Ellen before grabbing his jacket. He knew what their Dad wanted and nodded to Sam who grabbed his coat.

“Right 19, left 4, right 17, left 21,” Ellen told him as she slumped back on the bed. “The safe was in the storage room behind some boxes. It should be fireproof, so the things inside should be okay.”

“Got that Sammy?”

“Yeah.”

“We’ll be back,” Dean told them as they headed for the door.

“Be careful Dean. The locals probably have a guard posted there.”

“I will Dad, don’t worry.”

**spn**

Dean pulled the Impala off to the side of the road before getting to the burned down remains of the Roadhouse. They got out and cut through the woods to stay out of sight. They spotted the patrol car parked in the lot with a deputy sitting inside. They slipped past him and continued around to come at the Roadhouse from the back. The brothers stuck to the shadows being quiet as ghosts while pressing on toward where the storage area used to be.

Sam pulled a pen light out and covered it with his hand as he slunk down trying to see into the burned boards and debris scattered around the place. It took then nearly twenty minutes before finding the safe under some collapsed drywall and scraps. Sam used his fingers to wipe the soot off the dial and pulled up the numbers in his head Ellen had given them. He spun it several times to clear it out before slowly moving it one way and then the other until he heard a clicking sound. He turned the handle and eased the door open as quietly as he could. Sam gathered all the papers, folders, and other items from the safe and dropped them into the open bag Dean was holding. Once he was done, he closed it back and wiped his fingerprints from it.

Dean led the way back around the parking lot and to the Impala. They got in and headed to the motel, wanting to see what they had found. Sam was jittery and still high on his adrenaline rush as he wiped his face and tried to slow his breathing. He used what Missouri had taught him and worked on calming himself.

“You okay Sammy?” Dean asked.

“Yeah, I will be,” Sam mumbled slumping into the seat as he slowed his breathing.

“You’ll tell me if something’s wrong, right bro?”

“I will, I promised Dean. I told you before, no secrets.”

“Good, that’s the way it should be,” he nodded concentrating on the road.

They drove in silence the rest of the way back to the motel. Dean pulled into the parking lot and took the same spot as before and cut the engine. They got out, Sam grabbing the bag from the back to take in with them. Dean opened the door and called out before stepping into the room. He did not want to get shot by accident.

“We’re back,” Dean announced loudly.

“Did you have any trouble?”

“Nope, Sammy was a pro, got right in the safe,” Dean praised Sam.

“This is what was in there. Here Ellen,” Sam said. He handed the bag to Ellen and sat down in a chair at the table.

“Thanks boys,” Ellen replied. She pulled the items from the bag and quickly looked through them finally spotting what was not hers. “This has to be it,” she said holding up a folded map.

John took the map and went to the table to spread it out. It was a map of Wyoming and there were X’s marked on it. The others gathered round the table and studied it for a moment.

“Any ideas?” John asked them.

Everyone frowned and Sam leaned in closer trying to see more details. “Is that railroad tracks?”

Dean leaned closer and squinted his eyes. He raised back up and looked again thinking something looked familiar about it. He grabbed a pen and drew on the map connecting the Xs. 

“I’ll be damn, it’s a devil’s trap,” Bobby said looking at the drawing. 

“Check this out,” John said. “Right here in the middle is an old cowboy cemetery. What’s it called?”

“Fossil Butte Cemetery,” Sam read off slowly. “Look at this, the railroad tracks run all the way around it.”

“Like it’s trying to keep something in?” Dean asked.

“Or out?” Sam added looking at him. 

“I think we need to do some more research when we get home. Ellen, you want to come back with us?” Bobby asked.

“No, I’ll stay here. I need to go to the cops, and I need to talk to the insurance company. I’ll be okay. There’s some friends I can stay with and I need to see Jo,” she said. “But thanks for the offer.”

“Why don’t we get some sleep and head out early in the morning?” John suggested. “I’ll go get Ellen a room.”

“Thanks John,” she sighed.

John left to get another room and the brothers excused themselves and headed for their room next door. Both were mulling over what Ash had found, trying to determine its significant. They were sure this was the cemetery Sam had seen in his vision and this was where the Devil’s Gate would be, so that meant they needed to go there too. 


	7. Chapter 7

The demons scurried into the room, heads hung low and hunched knowing what they had to report was not going to go over well with their leader. He stood at the back of the room with his back to them for several minutes before slowly turning around and gazing at them with white eyes that flashed his fury. 

“You found nothing out from those measly humans?” the demon asked daring them to lie to him.

“No sir, none knew anything about this gun. They thought it was a myth,” one demon said in a scared voice.

“One of the assholes was looking for it for the Winchesters,” another added hoping to find some favor with his boss.

“Did he know anything?”

“Not from what I could tell, but he was getting close, should we try to spy on them and see what they have learned?”

All fell silent as a male and female demon strolled into the room emitting an air of authority over the others but the white eyed demon.

“Alastair, I hope you have some good news,” the female said.

“Meg, Tom, good you could finally join us,” he said, his lip curling in contempt toward them. Alastair did not like working with them, but they were Azazel’s kids and he had a past with him.

“I have demons scouring the country for this gun. Are you sure we have to have it to open the door?” he questioned, not trusting them. They had their own agenda that did not match his.

“Yes, our father was going to use the gun to open a Devil’s Gate and free the demons from Hell,” Tom stated.

“Your father couldn’t see the bigger picture. He was thinking too small. We need that door opened so my plan can begin, and Lucifer can be freed. We have to find it before the Winchesters do.”

“Winchesters…” Meg spat. “The young one is mine. He’s going to pay for killing our father. I want him to suffer like no other has.”

Alastair stared with annoyance at the brother and sister knowing all they wanted was to exact revenge. He would use them until he did not need them anymore and then _deal_ with them.

“Enough!” Alastair shouted getting everyone’s attention. “You’re not doing any good standing around here, go find me that gun! And don’t disappoint me, I haven’t had a good torture session in a while. May be a little out of practice,” he threatened.

“Yes sir, yes sir…” the demons mumbled before bolting from the room to get away from him. Everyone knew how the Master Torturer dealt with ones he was displeased with.

Meg snubbed her nose at Alastair and turned on her heels to walk away. Tom just looked at him showing indifference and followed his sister.

No one noticed as one demon scurried away in the opposite direction of the others and disappeared in the halls of Hell. He kept looking over his shoulder to be sure no one was following him before stepping into a room and opening a secret passage that would take him to another part of Hell away from Alastair. He hurried down a hall and knocked on a door, waiting to be allowed entrance. After a few seconds he heard _‘Enter’_ and opened the door into a throne room. 

“Sir, I have just come from the faction that’s wanting to overthrow you,” the demon addressed the man in a three-piece suit sitting on the throne.

“Gerald, I have to say you do make a good double agent,” Crowley stated. “Just be sure you know who’s side you are on. If you double cross me…I will snuff you out like the tiny bug you are.”

“Yes sir, yes sir,” Gerald said bowing quickly to him.

“Well, what did you find out?”

“Alastair is looking for a gun. It’s supposed to open a door to Hell to allow demons to escape.”

“Okay, that was Azazel’s plan too, but I think there’s more going on here,” Crowley surmised. “What else was said?”

“He said something about a plan to free Lucifer.”

“Bloody hell!”

“There are two working with him that want the Boy King dead. It seems he killed their father, Azazel.”

“If they free the devil, my rein will be over, and I like this newfound power. Leave Gerald, I would advise you to disappear for a while. Wouldn’t want someone seeing you here with me.”

“Yes, my King, thank you sir, I’ll do that,” he continued bowing as he backed from the room and fled.

Crowley leaned back in the throne as he contemplated his next action. He did not want to be tossed off the throne and he did not want to lose the powers that he got with being the King of Hell. There was only one thing he could think of doing and that called for a trip upstairs. 

**spn**

It was early morning before anyone was awake in the motel when Sam heard something out of place. He rolled over and blinked the sleep from his eyes to look around the shadowed room. Movement at the table had him jumping up and grabbing a weapon.

“Dean!” Sam yelled as he planted himself between the intruder and his brother.

“Really?” Crowley drawled out. “Is that the kind of greeting you have for your bestie?”

“What?” Dean asked standing with Sam with a weapon in his hand pointing in the same direction as Sam and trying to figure out what was going on.

The lights came on and Sam blinked away the sudden glare to stare at the demon sitting at the table sipping coffee from a delicate china cup.

“Crowley!” Sam said in disgust as he lowered his weapon.

“You know him?” Dean asked looking from one to the other but not lowering his gun. With just one look, he already knew he did not like this man in his fancy suit and uppity airs.

“What? Sam didn’t tell you. I got him out of Hell and let him use my suite at a resort in the Catskills,” Crowley said. “We’re close friends, best buds. He appointed me King of Hell.”

“No, we’re not, just ‘cause I let you take over Hell doesn’t make us friends,” Sam growled at him trying to control his anger.

“Whoa, whoa, back up here,” Dean said confusion in his words. “Who are you?” he addressed his question to Crowley waving his gun in the air.

“Excuse me, name’s Crowley, King of Hell,” Crowley introduced himself with a nod.

“Wait? What? You know the King of Hell?” Dean asked Sam who rolled his eyes in disgust and looked around for some clothes since he was standing there in his briefs and tee shirt. “And you didn’t tell me this because…”

“It wasn’t important, I didn’t think I would be seeing him again,” Sam grunted. “Why are you here Crowley? I know it’s not to socialize.”

“Seems there’s a coup going on in Hell and your name was brought up.”

“I need coffee,” Dean muttered with a huff as he went to the pot to start some.

“Allow me,” Crowley offered snapping his fingers and a carafe appeared on the table with two cups, cream, and sugar. Beside it was a plate of pastries that were fluffy, rich, and sinful.

“Sammy, can we trust him?” Dean asked eyeing the pastries hungrily.

“Hell no, but he wouldn’t be here if the problem wasn’t real,” Sam sighed wanting to hear what Crowley had to say. He moved to the table and poured a cup of the rich, strong brew. It was definitely better than what they usually drank. After adding cream and sugar, Sam sat down across from Crowley and waited as Dean helped himself to coffee and pastries before pulling a chair over next to Sam and sitting down.

“So, talk,” Sam said. He wanted to get this conversation over with.

“After you killed Azazel, it seems there were some demons who didn’t like it when I took over Hell. It was subtle at first, and then demons started disappearing. I planted a mole and just got the latest report. I assume you haven’t found this gun that it seems everyone is looking for?”

Dean and Sam look at each other as silent communications pass between them. ‘ _Don’t say anything,’_ Sam whispered in Dean’s mind. Dean startled at first but kept his mouth shut.

“I will take that as a no. And you know the demons want it to open a Devil’s Gate. It seems Alastair is the ringleader behind it all. Opening this gate will allow him to begin the process of freeing the devil. And that is something you can’t allow to happen.”

“How are they going to do that?”

“No clue, but you should also know there are two demons named Meg and Tom, who are gunning for your head on a silver platter Sammy. They didn’t like that you killed their dear old Dad.”

Sam frowned at him as he racked his brain for which demon it could be. He had killed quit a few getting out of Hell.

“Azazel, if you haven’t put it together yet,” Crowley told him when he saw the puzzled look on Sam’s face. “Little slow are we Sammy?”

“It’s Sam to you Crowley, and he wasn’t the only one I killed before I got out of there.”

“You know I need to come up with another name that suits you. I’ll get back to you on that. Well, I’ve done what I can, it’s up to you to stop them. Enjoy the food.” Crowley snapped his fingers and disappeared before Sam could throw a retort at him.

Dean bit off another bite of pastry and chewed slowly as he processed what had just happened. “So, you are friends with the King of Hell?”

“That’s what you took from that conversation? And no, we’re not friends,” Sam snarled angrily.

“Did you stay in his suite at the Catskills?”

“Well, yes…”

“And you didn’t think that was a tidbit I might need to know?”

“Not really, I…”

“Anything else you didn’t tell me Sammy?” Dean asked arching an eyebrow as he studied his brother.

Sam pinched his lips together in a thin line and stared away from him. He had hoped never to see Crowley again and saw no reason to tell Dean about him. “I wasn’t keeping it from you Dean. I just didn’t see it important. He got me out of Hell after I killed Azazel. That was it. I didn’t care who took over Hell, he volunteered for the position.”

“So, we’ve got two demons after your head and now know the name of the one wanting to open the gate, Alastair.”

“You think anyone else is up? We need to head back to Bobby’s and decide our next move,” Sam surmised with a sigh. He rubbed a hand down his face and watched his brother devour another pastry. He finished his coffee before getting up and grabbing clothes to pack. The wheels in his head were turning as he went over what Crowley had told them, and the new threats that he was now facing, Azazel’s kids and a demon called Alastair.

* * *

**A/N: Seems the brothers have an ally in Hell. They now know who is after Sam and who wants the Colt. Things are going to speed up and I will throw some twists in to spice things up. Hope you enjoy the read. I do like comments, if you haven’t left one, please do. NC**


	8. Chapter 8

Sam could tell Dean was still pissed at him for not telling him about Crowley, but he remained silent since he did not want to add fuel to the fire. They had been back at Bobby’s for nearly a week and were not getting any closer to finding the Colt. With Ash gone, they did not have anyone who knew their way around the internet like he did. Sam closed out the website he was on and sighed as he rubbed his tired eyes. He looked around the room for a moment trying to decide what to do. John had gone to help another hunter on a hunt and Bobby was in the garage working on a car. He was not sure where Dean had gone since they were not actually communicating that much right now. 

Sam had to tell the others about knowing Crowley after Dean bullied him into doing it. John and Bobby were not too happy to hear that Sam was on speaking terms with the King of Hell but thought it might be something they could use to their advantage if they were going to stop the Devil’s Gate from being open. It did not mean they had to like it, but they could use all the help they could get.

After zeroing in on the cemetery Ash had found, Sam had concentrated his efforts in to finding out all he could about the place. It seemed Samuel Colt had built small churches around the place and connected them with the railroad line made of pure iron. He created the door locking the demons in Hell and the key to open it was the Colt, but that was never written down anywhere. The only way they knew was from Sam’s vision. It was ingenious in a way. The iron ties and churches formed a devil’s trap that kept any demon from setting foot in the place because it was sacred ground. What better way to guard the door to Hell and keep it inaccessible from the demons?

The back door opened, and Dean came in carrying several bags. He looked over at Sam sitting at the table and grunted a greeting.

“I didn’t know you were going into town.” Sam said. “I’d gone with you if you’d asked.”

“It’s fine, just grabbed a few things,” he mumbled sitting the bags down. He began to unpack them, putting things away as he went.

“Enough!” Sam said loudly as he smacked the palm of his hand down on the table making Dean stop what he was doing and look at him. “This has got to stop. I get that you’re pissed at me, but you need to get over it, Dean. I said I was sorry for not telling you about Crowley. I never thought he’d be an issue for us since I have my powers and he's beholding to me for letting him take the throne. I’m tired of getting the silent treatment. If you can’t get past this, I’m leaving.”

Dean looked at his brother and saw the anger and determination in his eyes and knew he meant it. He had never seen Sam act like this, and it surprised him. He knew he was being petty and childish about the whole thing. It was not like Sam was hiding it from him; he just failed to mention he more or less appointed Crowley as King of Hell before leaving the place. It was still hard for him to fathom that his little brother could have taken over as ruler of Hell if he desired. 

“Fine, you’re right,” Dean huffed out. “So, what ya working on?” he asked dismissing the topic as being finished.

Sam looked at him seeing that was all he was going to get and started to speak when his laptop started beeping. He tapped a few keys and checked the program that he had running in the background.

“I think I might have found an Elkins,” he said. Sam’s eyes sparkled with excitement that maybe things were looking up for them. Maybe they had a chance of getting to the Colt before the demons could get it.

“Yeah, where at?” Dean asked rounding the counter and standing behind Sam to read over his shoulder.

“There’s a Daniel Elkins listed as living in Manning, Colorado,” he replied. 

“You up for a road trip?” Dean asked his brother.

“Yes, if it isn’t the right person, maybe he knows something about the Colt.”

“You go tell Bobby we’re heading out to check out the lead and I’ll go pack our bags,” Dean told him.

“Nothing doing, _you_ go tell Bobby and _I’ll_ pack our bags. Last time you did that you forgot my socks and I had to buy new ones,” Sam insisted.

“Whatever dude,” Dean shrugged grabbing a jacket and heading for the front door. 

The weather had gotten better and most of the snow was gone now except for shaded areas and drifts. At least they had above freezing temperatures for the past week which made driving easier and road conditions travelable. 

By the time Dean got back to the house, Sam had their bags packed and waiting at the bottom of the stairs. He was in the kitchen packing some waters and power bars for the drive over. He had checked online and printed out directions to Manning, Colorado. He found it was located in the middle of the state in the mountains, west of Colorado Springs. They had at least an eleven to twelve hour drive ahead of them and it was already nearly noon. 

**spn**

“Are we stopping for the night somewhere or do you want me to drive the rest of the way?” Sam asked. Darkness had already descended, and they still had about six more hours of driving ahead of them.

“You up to taking the wheel so I can grab a few hours of sleep and I’ll take back over?”

“I can do that,” Sam nodded. He thought they both wanted to get to Colorado as soon as they could and see if they could find this Elkins person.

“There’s a truck stop up ahead. We’ll stop there, fill up and grab a bite to eat before heading back out.”

“Sounds good.” Sam settled back as Dean followed the signs to the 24-hour truck stop and exited the interstate. He pulled up to a pump to fill the car and Sam got out to head inside to use the restroom and get them a table. The place was not too busy this time of night and Sam had no problem finding a booth for them. He waited for Dean to join him before signaling to the waitress they were ready. They ordered and hungrily wolfed down the rolls she brought back with the drinks.

“What if this Elkins won’t talk to us?” Sam asked as they waited for their food.

“We make him. We tell him the danger he’s in and if he has the Colt there will be demons sniffing at his doorsteps,” Dean replied.

“That might work,” Sam nodded thinking about it. They became silent when the waitress came back with their food and returned with more drinks for them.

The brothers ate their meal with little conversation since they wanted to get back on the road. They both stopped by the restroom on their way out and Sam took his place behind the wheel and Dean slumped down in the passenger seat ready to snooze. He had a full stomach, he was in his Baby, and he knew Sam would be careful with her. Once they got back on the interstate, the steady rocking and purr of the engine had Dean snoring softly as Sam concentrated on the road and found some truckers heading their way. He fell in with them and kept their pace.

**spn**

“Hey Dean,” Sam called to him giving his arm a shake.

“I’m up,” Dean spouted quickly as he pushed himself up and looked around.

“We’re about forty miles outside of Manning. I can stop for gas and you can take over driving again.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. Why didn’t you wake me sooner?”

“I thought you needed the sleep. I was fine.”

“Okay, find a gas station and I’ll fill Baby up and once we get to Manning; we’ll grab a room for the night. Things won’t be opening up around there probably until after nine, so we can sleep in.”

Sam found a station ten miles down the road that was opened and pulled from the interstate and onto the side road to the station. He got out and stretched, letting Dean pump the gas while he went in search of the restrooms. It had been a long day for him, but he had had worse. By the time he was out and grabbing a drink, Dean had used the restroom and was pouring a large coffee for himself. They headed back to the Impala and continued their journey towards Manning.

It did not take Dean long to get to the outskirts of the town and find some motels that would suit their needs. He chose one and pulled up to the office, letting Sam get out to go in and get a room. He came out fifteen minutes later and motioned Dean to follow him around the building to the wings branching off from the office. Sam found their room and opened the door, waiting for Dean before going inside. He knew from experience that Dean always checked the room out first before allowing him to enter just in case there were any surprises waiting for them. They grabbed their bags and settle in to get some sleep before beginning their search for Elkins the following day.

**spn**

“Why don’t we split up to cover more ground,” Dean suggested. “You go check the post office and I’ll go check the bar and we’ll meet up at the diner?”

“Why do you get to check the bar?” Sam asked.

“Because I’m the oldest, go do your mumbo jumbo, I’ll meet you at the diner down the street,” Dean insisted walking away leaving Sam standing on the sidewalk staring daggers into his back.

He turned on his heels and headed down the street toward the sign that stated US Postal Service. Sometimes his brother could really get under his skin and it irked him to no end. The bad thing was Dean knew it and did it anyway. 

Sam walked into the small room and saw several people waiting in line as a middle age woman behind the counter helped them. It seemed no one was in any hurry and chatting for a few minutes was a common thing. He looked around the place and saw mailing materials, pictures of stamps, forms for different uses and a cork board with various job offers, items for sale, and lost pets. He stepped forward being patient as the woman finished up with the man’s request.

“How may I help you?” she asked when Sam stepped to the counter.

“I am looking for a distant relative and I have tracked him to this area. I was wondering if you have the address for a Daniel Elkins?” Sam asked.

“I’m sorry young man, I’m not allowed to give out addresses for any of townspeople. Maybe try the phone book or check with the sheriff’s department.”

“I understand ma’am, but it’s important I find him. Think you can maybe this once look it up for me?” he asked pushing outward with his powers and planting the thought in her mind.

“You know what; you seem like a nice guy. Why don’t I look that up for you?” she said turning and typing on the computer beside her. After a minute of two, she wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to Sam. “Now don’t you go telling anyone I gave you this.”

“Oh no ma’am; I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble. Why don’t you forget you even did it and I’ll won’t say a thing? Good day.”

“You have a nice one,” she replied going back to her paperwork the memory of what she had done already forgotten. 

Sam stepped from the post office and headed for the diner, wondering if Dean had any luck or was he sneaking a cold one. He stopped at a used bookstore and looked into the window reading the titles on display. He decided to check the place out and see if he could find any books to add to his growing collection on psychic powers. He became engrossed in his search and did not see how much time had passed until his cell chimed, he had a message. Sam pulled it up and saw it was from Dean and he was waiting for him at the diner. Sam grabbed the books he wanted and headed to the checkout knowing he was going to get some ribbing from Dean when he got to the diner.

“Dude, where have you been?” Dean asked as Sam slid into the booth across from him. “Did the postal person kidnap you or something?”

“No, I stopped by a used bookstore and lost track of time.”

“Did you find anything?”

“Yeah, I got an address for Elkins; how ‘bout you?”

“Seems he usually comes in every two to three days and has a few beers and heads back out. Funny thing is he hasn’t been seen in like four days. He doesn’t have a phone, doesn’t trust them.”

“You think the demons might have found him?” Sam whispered.

“Don’t know, let’s grab a quick lunch and got check his place out. Where is it?”

“It’s in the hills on the outskirts of town. Pretty isolated and not any neighbors around him. If something did happen to him, he wouldn’t have anyone to help him.”

“Hello gentlemen, what can I get you to drink?” the waitress asked posed with her pen to take their order.

The brothers quickly told her their orders and waited as she brought back rolls and drinks. It was not long before their order was out, and they were enjoying the food. Dean had to order a slice of homemade pecan pie and hummed in delight with the flavor and taste. He sent his complements to the chef and they paid their bill and left.

**spn**

“You sure you know where we’re going?” Dean asked as the paved road turned to gravel and then turned to hard packed dirt.

“From the map it should be up ahead about half a mile, there’s a driveway on the right,” he said looking at the map he had snagged at the diner. “I think. Not every road is on this map you know.”

“Just don’t get us lost up here, I can already hear the banjos picking.”

“Don’t be so dramatic dude,” Sam scoffed. “Look, there,” he pointed to a driveway almost hidden by the shrubs around it.

“If this scratches up my Baby, there’s going to be hell to pay,” he grumbled.

“You can always park it and we can hike up to the cabin.”

“You know I hate that just as much as dirt roads.”

“Just saying, is all. I don’t think it’s much farther.”

The driveway gave way to an open area that had a log cabin sitting in the middle of it with a circular driveway that went by it. There was a beat-up truck sitting to the side of the place, so they figured he was home. They saw no signs of life as Dean parked and got out waiting for Sam to join him.

“Do you feel it?” Dean asked looking around and pulling his gun.

“What?” Sam asked as he stopped for a moment to hone in on everything around him. “I don’t hear any animals or insects.” Sam pulled his gun and followed Dean to the cabin steps and silently walked up them.

Dean listened closely before standing to the side of the door and rapping twice on it. He waited for the door to be answered, but it was not. He grabbed the doorknob and turned it slowly seeing it was unlocked and pushed it opened. He glanced inside and did not see any movement as the light filtered inside. They waited several minutes before Dean stepped into the cabin and slowly looked around before moving deeper into it.

Sam smelled it before seeing it. He moved by Dean and stepped into a room off the main room and found him.

“Dean, in here,” Sam called as he lowered his gun.

“What is it?” Dean asked and stopped short when he saw the legs sticking out from behind a desk. The room was trashed, and blood was splattered on the walls and bookcase behind the desk.

“Is it him?” Dean asked.

“I don’t know,” Sam said. He walked slowly around the desk and found the man splayed out on the floor with his throat ripped out.

“Demons?” Dean questioned as he moved around the room looking at the mess.

“I don’t think so,” Sam replied kneeling down to examine the wounds.

“Look at this,” Dean called to Sam. He had picked up a wooden box that had the indention of a gun and places for bullets across the top. “The Colt was here.”

“Demons didn’t do this. I think he was attacked by vampires.”

“So, vamps stole the gun from him? But why?”

“Didn’t Dad say he hunted vampires? What if some found him and wanted revenge and the gun was just a souvenir?”

“Great! Now we have to track a nest of vampires!” Dean cried throwing his hands in the air in frustration.

“I wonder if I can see the Colt like I can see people?” Sam mumbled looking down at the dead body. He was going to try using psychoscopy and the case the Colt was in to see if he could find it. “Guess we need to burn the body, at least give him a hunter’s funeral.”

“Anything useful in here besides the case the Colt was in?” Dean asked looking around the room.

“Grab those couple of boxes of books for Bobby,” Sam said picking up several journals from a shelve to thumb through them. He saw another box and quickly gathered any notes and journals into it before stepping outside and to the trunk of the Impala. Sam grabbed a couple of the journals before Dean closed it trunk. He wanted to start reading as they drove.

“Guess we could just set the house on fire and call it in once it’s burning good. The area around here is still wet, and I don’t think the fire will spread,” Dean offered.

“Beats trying to build a pyre and will get rid of any evidence of foul play. I don’t think the locals need to know how he died.”

“Okay then, might as well get it done and get out of here. We’ll head a few towns over and get a room. I’m betting the vampires might be nearby. I’ll send a text to Dad and see if he can meet up with us to help.”

“I want to read a few of his journals about vampires and see if there’s anything useful in them.”

“You do that geek boy. I’ll go light this place up.” Dean walked back inside and gathered a small pile of torn up papers together. After dumping oil from a lamp over the body and around it, he tossed a match to the liquid watching it quickly catch and run around the trail of oil. He stepped to the door and made sure the blaze was spreading before hurrying to the car and heading back down the driveway. He knew it would take the fire department a while to get to the place and wanted to be far away from here. 

Sam opened the first journal and saw a date on the first page for the late sixties. He looked at the other and found a date for the late seventies. He had no idea when Elkins had started hunting and turned to the first entry of the first journal to begin reading about his life as a hunter. 

* * *

**A/N: So, the Colt has been taken but not by demons. Can they find it in time to stop the gate from being opened? Thank you for coming on this journey with me. Comments would be great. NC**   
  
  



	9. Chapter 9

Sam was engrossed in the journal he was reading and didn’t realize they had stopped, or Dean went into the motel office to get them a room. He jumped when Dean tapped hard on the glass and looked at him with a frown.

“Heard anything from Dad?” he asked dropping back into the driver’s seat and cranking his Baby. 

“Not yet, I left a voicemail.”

Dean moved behind the office and to the end of one of the wings jutting off from the building. He parked and got out going to the trunk to get his bag and letting Sam grab his own. 

After giving the room a quick once over, Dean and Sam entered the room, closing the door and locking it. He dropped his bags in a chair and found the remote for the television before throwing himself on the bed closest to the door. With a click, he turned on the television and started channel surfing to find something to watch. He finally settled on an old western and looked over at Sam. 

He was sitting at the table with his nose still in the journal he had been reading. Dean studied him closely and had to admit to himself, he couldn’t call him his little brother anymore. Besides being taller than him now, he could see Sam had matured mentally and emotionally than what he had been before deciding he was going to college. He had to admit to himself his brother had grown up without him even realizing it.

“Dean listen to this,” Sam called breaking Dean out of his thoughts.

“Yeah, what Sammy?”

_“I have found that dead man’s blood is like poison to a vampire. It won’t kill them but will render them incapacitated where killing them will be made easier_ ,” Sam read looking up at Dean. “Ever heard of that?”

“Nope, first for me.”

“You think it’s true? I mean he was an expert on vampires when he hunted.”

“So, what? You want to find some dead man’s blood and try it out?”

“What if it gives us an advantage?”

“So how do you think it works?”

“Elkins wrote he filled syringes with the blood and injected the vampires,” Sam read looking up at Dean with expecting eyes.

“Don’t tell me, you want me to snag some dead man’s blood,” Dean sighed falling back on the bed.

“You are always saying how you can wrangle up anything.”

“It’ll have to wait until dark,” he huffed not wanting to admit defeat for anything. He settled back on the bed and ignored his brother who was smirking at him. A cell started ringing and Dean looked around for his jacket that he had thrown over a chair before crashing on the bed. “Toss me my jacket.”

Sam moved to grab his jacket and threw it Dean’s way. Dean dug his cell out and answered it.

“Hello,” he said. “Dad, yeah Elkins did have it…No, vampires got to him first…We found the empty box so I’m thinking they took it as a souvenir or something…I’m sure they have no idea what it can do…We’re at the next town over from Manning, Colorado. Figured the nest might be somewhere nearby…Sure Dad, we’ll see you then.”

“So, he’s coming? When will he get here?” Sam asked thinking it would be better to have another hunter helping find the vampires.

“Yeah, he’ll be here in the early morning. I’m thinking when it gets dark, we should check out some of the bars around here. We might run across a vamp and can question him about the nest.”

“You think they would go back to the bar where they probably saw Elkins and trailed him home?”

“They’d have to be really dumb asses to do that.”

“I’ll check the area to see what abandoned places are around they might be using.”

“Fine, I’m going to take a nap before dinner and get ready for bar hopping,” Dean grunted as he settled down ending their conversation.

**spn**

Sam waited in the car while Dean broke into a funereal home to steal dead man’s blood. He had bought syringes at the local drug store to fill with the blood and hoped what Elkins wrote in his journal was true. Sam was starting to get worried, but Dean appeared out of the shadows and slipped into the Impala and passed him a bag with a jar in it. He filled syringes while Dean drove away before anyone saw them.

This was the third bar the brothers had checked out in search of vampires. He had thought they found one, but Sam told him it was some wanna be trying to act cool and pickup women. Dean told him to get a life and act his age before letting him go. It was getting late when Sam stiffened and nodded toward a guy that had just walked in. He wasn’t sure how, but he knew this guy was a vampire. There was something about him that was off to Sam. They watched him check the room out and head to the bar. He started chatting up some women at the bar trying to make a move on them. He succeeded in getting one of them to dance with him and wasn’t long before he had her headed for the door.

Dean and Sam quickly got up and followed them out and waited until they turned down an alley before attacking. Sam stabbed a needle into his neck and pushed the plunger down, sending the dead man’s blood into the vampire. He cried out in pain as Dean pulled the woman away and told her she needed to be pickier with who she went off with. Sam had the vampire under control, and they drug him to the Impala and tossed him in the trunk. They needed to find a secluded place to question him away from any prying eyes.

Dean stopped at the rundown house outside of town and parked. They got out and went to the trunk to jerk the vampire out and take him into the house. Sam injected more dead man’s blood making him cry out in pain and struggle to get away. 

“This stuff does the job,” Dean commented watching the vampire wither in anguishing pain. “Where’s your nest?”

“What’d ya give me?” the vampire groaned feeling the effects of the blood.

“Answer my brother’s question,” Sam demanded as he clenched his hand tightly and watched him silently gasp, clawing at his body as Sam found his dark soul and began to crush it. He let go after a moment and glared down at him. “Will you tell us now or do you want more?”

“You can’t stop us, there’s more of us than you,” the vampire spat out as he shook and tried to scoot away from them.

“Doesn’t mean we don’t have backup coming,” Dean said.

“You can make it easy on yourself and tell us or you can suffer,” Sam told the vampire holding his hand up again.

“You got another syringe Sammy?” Dean asked. “Maybe he needs another dose. Wonder how many before it’ll kill him?”

Sam handed Dean another syringe hoping they can get him to talk before he dies. Dean moved to inject him again, pushing the needle into his neck but before he could do it, the vampire talk began to talk.

“No, no, no more…” the vampire cried out when he saw the syringe being passed to Dean and felt it enter his neck. 

“You know how to stop it,” Dean offered.

“There’s an old barn between the towns,” the vampire started coughing and shivering. “Mailbox said Sanders.”

“Got that Sammy?” Dean asked before pulling a machete and taking the vampire’s head off.

“Yeah, I got it,” Sam said.

**spn**

John pulled into the restaurant parking lot and saw the Impala parked in the back. Dean had sent him a text that they found the nest and needed to strike in the morning when the vampires should be settling in for the day. He agreed to meet them for an early breakfast and head to the location afterwards wanting to give any stragglers time to get there. He parked beside the car and got out to head inside and find his boys.

Sam saw him first and stood to be seen. John strolled to the table and took a seat across from them.

“Boys, good to see you both,” John greeted them.

“Dad,” Dean said.

“Hey Dad,” Sam replied.

“Good morning sir, would you like coffee?” a waitress came by and asked.

“Yes,” John answered.

“I’ll be right back with that and get your orders,” she said hurrying off to retrieve the pot and a cup. The waitress set down the cup and filled it and refreshed the boy’s cups before pulling out a pad to take their order.

John and Dean ordered the blue plate special and Sam ordered an egg white omelette with fresh fruit. They waited for their food and Dean filled their father in on what they knew.

“We found the place, it’s not far. It’s an abandoned farm between the two towns. Seems there was a fire that destroyed the house and the bank took it over. The barn is still in tack and that’s where they’re hold up. They should all be coming in for the day and we can take them out,” Dean told him. 

“And what’s this big news you found?” John asked looking to Sam.

“Dead man’s blood,” Sam whispered. “It’s poison to them. Takes them down but doesn’t kill them. It might if given enough, haven’t been able to test that yet.”

“That’s something we need to get around to the other hunters. It will give us an advantage at least,” John nodded.

“I thought so too,” Sam replied. 

They fell silent when the waitress came back with their orders. She sat the plates around the table and checked to see if they needed anything else before leaving. The conversation was sparse as they quickly ate while waiting for the sun to rise. They knew most vampires laid low during the day when they were at their weakest and vulnerable.

John motioned to the waitress for the check and pulled some bills from his pocket and waved Dean away when he started to get his wallet out. He checked the amount and laid down money, adding a tip before they got up and headed to the vehicles. He was going to follow Dean to the nest since they had the directions. Dean pulled out and John fell in behind him, keeping a safe distance behind them.

**spn**

It was forty minutes later when Dean pulled off the road and stopped. They got out and went to the trunk to gear up. He handed Sam a machete and took one for himself. Sam passed him syringes of dead man’s blood and pocketed several for himself. They waited for John to join them and gave him a couple of the loaded syringes too. 

“Do you have any more of that blood?” John asked.

“A little,” Sam said pulling the jar out of the trunk.

“How ‘bout dipping these in there,” John said. He held out arrows for a crossbow to the one slung over his shoulder. “Bullets won’t work but this will.”

“Good idea Dad,” Dean told him.

Sam took the arrows and opened the jar to put the tips of the arrows in it and roll them around to coat them good. He pulled them out once they were coated and let the excess drip back into the jar. He waved them in the air to dry and handed them back to John. He notched one in the crossbow and clipped the others to the side to have ready.

“The barn is a quarter a mile down this road. We can cut through the forest here and come up behind it,” Sam told them. He headed for the stand of trees and disappeared into them, not waiting for the others.

“Better catch up with your brother,” John noted seeing Sam wasn’t waiting.

“Yeah, he’s like that now,” Dean huffed heading after his brother before he did something stupid.

Sam was waiting at the edge of the forest and studying the collapsed house and the rundown red barn sitting back behind it. He let his senses fan out and knew something wasn’t right.

“Is this the place?” Dean asked looking to Sam and frowning. He could see concern on his face and didn’t like it.

“Yeah, we need to be careful, don’t get separated,” Sam replied. “Something’s off, I just don’t know what.”

They made their way toward the barn and a side door. Dean used a knife to unlock it and ease it open, stopping when it creaked loudly. He waited to see if anyone was alerted but didn’t see or hear anything. Once he saw it was clear, Dean stepped into the barn followed by John and Sam.

The dimness of the interior of the barn made it hard for them to see but they couldn’t detect any movement at all inside. Sam had his machete ready as he moved to the double doors and opened them, allowing the light to filter in. He turned when he heard Dean speak.

“Holy crap!” Dean cried out when he saw bodies scattered around the back of the barn. He looked closer and saw some were vampires and others he thought were their victims. They were all dead.

John looked around checking bodies for the Colt when suddenly three beings jumped from the loft to land easily near Dean and him. He shot one with the crossbow as he bared his fangs and headed for him. It backed up a couple of steps and looked down at the arrow sticking from his chest and laughed as he pulled it out. The vampire made ready to attack as John tried another arrow only to have the vampire break it off and toss it away.

“Sam! Blood’s not working!” Dean yelled after stabbing the vampire with a syringe full of blood that didn’t faze it. Dean was backhanded by the vampire and landed hard on the floor. He rolled away and was back on his feet with his machete ready.

“That’s because they’re possessed!” Sam cried out. The vampires’ eyes turned black as they made ready to attack again. He could see the demon souls inside of each vampire and threw one across the room before it attacked John. “Take the head off! Only way to stop it.” Sam had his machete ready as the vampire/demon charged him and jerked a chair into its path to make it stumble, giving him the few seconds he needed to remove its head and take out the demon possessing the vampire. He quickly turned and used his powers to pull another off Dean who was down and trying to hold it back from ripping his throat out. Sam froze the vampire/demon in place until Dean was up on his feet and able to take it out.

Dean struggled to his feet as Sam stopped the vampire/demon with his powers in front of him so he could swing his machete through the air, slicing the vampire’s head off. The black smoke spilled from the body, but Sam stopped it and crushed it, destroying its essence. He didn’t want them escaping to inform their boss of their survival.

John fought the one confronting him but finding it didn’t seem anything was stopping it. He tried to keep his distance as he slashed out with the machete. The other vampire/demon launched itself at John while Sam was concentrating on the demons’ black souls and took him down knocking him almost unconscious. He quickly ripped his wrist open and pressed it to John’s open mouth feeding him his blood. Sam threw the vampire/demon off John and pulled the demon’s soul out to destroy it. He saw blood on John’s mouth and knew what had happened. A cold feeling settled in the pit of his stomach when he realized what that meant.

“No Dean! Not yet we need his blood!” Sam yelled as Dean started to take the vampire’s head off. “I’ll hold him get his blood. We’ll need it to make the cure.”

Dean frantically looked around and found a cup to use. He slashed across the vampire’s arm and caught the blood and stepped back as Sam swung his blade taking off the vampire’s head. 

“We need to get Dad back to Bobby’s,” Sam insisted running to him and kneeling by his side. He helped him sit up and could see the vampire blood was already taking affect as he shivered, and his eyes looked bloodshot. Blood was smeared around his mouth and ran down his chin.

“What happened?” Dean asked.

“He got fed vampire’s blood,” Sam said looking up at Dean trying not to panic.

Dean stiffened with the news and looked frantically at their Dad. He found a water bottle and dumped its contents, shaking it hard to get any excess water out. Being careful, Dean poured the blood into it and sealed it. 

“Let’s get out of here. We don’t know how long before Dad starts craving blood,” Dean urged.

“Dad, hey, Dad. Can you walk?” Sam asked helping him to stand. 

“Sam, wh’ hap’ed?” John slurred as he leaned heavily on him.

“It’s okay Dad, we know what to do,” Dean said. He got on John’s other side and helped Sam guide him from the barn. “Hold on Sammy.” Dean saw a can of gas sitting at the door and went back in to douse the place and tossed a match onto it. Flames quickly swooshed upward and spread across the gas engulfing the place. He stepped from the blaze and back outside to help Sam. They headed for the vehicles, keeping John between them. 

“Think we should restrain him?” Sam asked once they got to the vehicles.

“Too bright!” John cried out as they moved into the sunlight and he shielded his eyes. “Hurts…”

“You’ll have to drive his truck,” Dean stated looking at their father as he sat him in the back of the car out of the sunlight. He rummaged around in his pockets until he found his truck keys.

“Dean,” Sam said impatiently knowing he was avoiding his question. “We can’t chance him attacking one of us.”

“I know, let me think,” he growled looking at their father as he paced for a moment. “You’re right, get the cuffs from the back.”

Sam went around to the trunk and dug out handcuffs. He went to their father and snapped them on his wrists behind his back. “Sorry Dad, it’s for your own good.”

“Sam?” John questioned when he comprehended what Sam had done. He pulled on them and looked to Dean for help. “Dean?”

“Dad, you were fed vampire blood, what you’re feeling is it changing you. You’ve gotta hold on, you can’t let it take you over. You understand what’s going on?”

“I’ll call Bobby and let him know what happened and to mix up the cure. All he’ll need to finish it is the blood you have,” Sam told them before he stepped away to make the call.

“Don’t feel good Dean,” John whispered as he let his body slide down in the back seat. 

“I know, but when we get to Bobby’s he’ll have the cure ready. All we’ll need to do is add the vampire blood and you can take it.”

Sam stepped back to Dean once he finished the call. “Bobby will have it ready,”

“Get the blanket from the back to cover Dad with. The sunlight is going to bother him.”

“Okay. I’ll see if he has any sunglasses in the truck too.” Sam did as he was told and reached in to drape the blanket over John’s prone body. He found sunglasses in the glove box of the truck and settled them over John’s eyes. “You be careful Dean. You need to watch him.”

“I will, let’s get out of here,” Dean replied. He went around to the driver’s side to get in as Sam headed for the truck.

Dean turned around and headed back for the main road with Sam following behind him. He was driving straight through only stopping when he needed gas. Time was of the essence and they needed to get John back to Bobby’s so the cure could be given to him. That was their only chance of saving him from a fate worse than death. If the cure didn’t work, Dean didn’t want to think about what would have to be done.

Could they kill their own father if there were no other options?

* * *

**A/N: The vampire hunt did not go as planned and now the brothers hope the cure Sam had found will work on their father. Hope you liked the twist. Thanks for reading my story. I do like comments; they make my day. NC**


	10. Chapter 10

Dean was frazzled and exhausted by the time he got to Sioux Falls. It was dark and the headlights cut through the night ahead of him. They had to stop twice for gas along the way and each time John tried to get away. The blood was causing him to freak out and they could barely contain him. He fought them and begged them to kill him, he did not want to hurt them or anyone else. The last time was the worse and Sam had to use his powers to stop him from biting Dean. Not knowing what else to do, Dean knocked him out and tied his feet and used the seat belts to strap him down. 

“Dean, son, I can’t take this!” John cried out. He had come to an hour ago and had not stopped begging for him to kill him. “It’s driving me crazy…”

“We’re almost to Bobby’s Dad, Bobby will have the cure ready and you can take it,” Dean told him again.

“We don’t know it’ll work…” John groaned. “You have to do it if it doesn’t Dean. Sammy can’t, don’t let him see. It’ll be too hard on him.”

“I know Dad, but it’s not going to come to that. It has to work,” Dean stated as he gripped the steering wheel tightly praying the cure was real. He glanced in the rearview mirror to be sure Sam was still there. If the cure did not work…Dean could not think that way, he could not go there. Not yet, not until they knew for sure. He would not let those thoughts enter his mind. Dean signaled to take the road around Sioux Falls to get to Bobby’s faster. He tried to shut out the moaning and begging from the back seat as he concentrated on the road in front of him. All he could think of was he was almost there, and this nightmare could end.

Sam’s nerves were tattered, and he was pulling on his last reserve as he followed Dean in their father’s truck. He knew this was killing Dean having to treat their Dad like this. Both knew how painful and hard it was for someone to turn. They had not seen many over their years of hunting, but they knew it made the person rabid and insane with the need to feed. He could still see the hunger in his father’s eyes when he knocked Dean back against the Impala and tried to bite him. Luckily, Sam had been fast enough to stop him from doing it and not having a choice, Dean knocked him out. Sam would not let himself even think about the consequences if the cure didn’t work.

The lights of the salvage yard showed dimly in the darkness and Dean let out a relieved breath. He slowed and turned onto the driveway and followed it to the front of the house. Bobby had the porch light on and as Dean parked, he stepped from the house to the porch to wait on them.

Sam pulled up beside the Impala and parked, killing the engine and getting out. He stretched and went to the Impala to help get their father out of the back.

“We’re here Dad, it won’t be much longer now,” Sam tried to assure him as he got him loose and helped him out of the car. Before Sam could stop him, John shoved him away and made a run for it only to be tackled by Dean. They went down hard, and Dean took an elbow to the face.

“We’re trying to help you damnit!” Dean exclaimed as he felt wetness under his nose. He looked to his father in the dim light and saw a look of desire and insanity on his face when he caught a whiff of the fresh blood streaking Dean’s face. 

“No!” Sam cried grabbing John’s jacket and hauling him away from Dean.

“Let’s get him to the panic room. Use the side door it’ll be easier,” Bobby told them grabbing John’s arm and jerking him toward the house. “Stay back Dean until your nose stops bleeding. It’ll only make him crazier.”

“Alright, where’s the cure, I’ll add the blood and get it ready for him?” Dean asked wiping at the blood under his nose.

“On the table in the kitchen,” Bobby replied before moving around the house.

Sam and Bobby wrestled John toward the side entrance to the basement and Sam held John so Bobby could get the door opened. Not wanting to, but seeing he needed to control John, Sam used his powers and held him at bay so he could not bite anyone. They shuffled him inside and into the panic room. Bobby had placed a chair in the middle of the room ready for him.

“Let me go!” John growled out snapping at Sam who jerked his hand back quickly before he could bite it.

“Watch him, he fast and cunning,” Sam said. He was still using his powers to restrain him as he rubbed his hand that almost got bitten. 

“I’ll go check on Dean,” Bobby offered knowing the sooner this was done, the sooner they would know if it was going to work. He stepped out and was heading up the stairs when Dean came down carrying a jar he was shaking.

“It’s ready,” he told Bobby waiting for him to go back down. 

Bobby turned back around and trooped back down with Dean on his heels. They stepped back into the panic room and over to John.

“You need to drink this Dad,” Dean told him unscrewing the lid off the jar.

“No, no,” John hissed trying to jerk his head away. He licked his lips when he smelled the fresh blood on Dean and strained to get away from the hold Sam had on him. 

“Hold his head Sammy,” Dean ordered as he grabbed John’s jaw and forced it open.

Sam did as he was told and pulled John’s head back enough to make it easier for Dean to pour the foul smelling liquid into his mouth. John sputtered and gagged and coughed trying not to swallow, but most of it went down his throat. Dean stepped back as John slumped into a chair gasping for a breath. Sam carefully released him and watched as he slumped forward breathing hard. 

Dean looked to Sam and then Bobby waiting for something to happen. “How long is this supposed to take?”

“Dad?” Sam asked reaching a hand toward him but stopping before he touched him. “Are you okay?”

Bobby pushed a bucket in front of John as he waited for it to happen. He had read the pages about the cure and how it would affect a person. It stated they would become violently ill when they dispelled the vampire blood from their system. 

“Give it a minute, boys,” Bobby said being patient.

Sam and Dean watched their father as he began to shake and suddenly started gurgling and sucking in short breaths until he fell from the chair to his hands and knees and started gagging and spewing black, foul smelling vomit. He hung his head over the bucket trying to catch his breath as more vomit came up. It seemed to take a long time before John finally fell to his side on the floor sucking in mouths of air as he tried to get his breath.

“Let’s get him on the cot,” Bobby told the boys.

“You get on one side Sammy,” Dean told him as he knelt by his father and helped him up. 

“Got him,” Sam replied.

Between the two of them, they got John up and moved to the cot against the wall. John groaned and coughed hard trying to clear his raw throat. 

“Here Dad, rinse your mouth and sip some,” Dean offered. He slipped an arm under his shoulders to help hold him up before offering him some water. He was careful to not let him have too much at one time.

John felt the water in his mouth and swished it around slowly and leaned his head sideways to spit in the bucket Sam held. He accepted a couple of sips and let it trickle down his throat helping to relieve some of the pain.

“I’ll go get rid of this,” Sam offered wanting to get the stench from the bucket out of the room. He headed outside to dump it and left the bucket by the back door.

“Why don’t you rest Dad?” Dean told John after settling him back on the cot.

John slumped down and let out some slow breaths, closing his eyes and nodding his agreement. He was exhausted and everything that had happened to him in the past twenty-four hours had taken its toll on him mentally and physically.

Dean pulled the blanket from the bottom of the cot and draped it over his father’s still body before stepping back. Sam had come back in and looked down at their father and up at Dean with relief that it was over now. 

“C’mon Sammy, he’ll be okay after he gets some rest,” Dean assured him clapping a hand on his shoulder and steering him from the room. 

“I’ll keep an eye on yer Daddy boys,” Bobby told them. “You two need to get some sleep.”

“It worked,” Sam whispered still not believing it was over. He almost stumbled on the stairs if Dean had not had a good hold on him. 

“Yeah, Bobby’s right, what say we head upstairs to bed?” Dean asked. “You look like shit.”

“Speak for yourself,” Sam huffed as he trudged up the stairs, barely able to pick his feet up.

“You want the bathroom first?” Dean asked stopping in the hall at their bedroom.

“Okay,” Sam replied stepping to the bathroom and closing the door behind him. He leaned against the door for a moment and let all that happened wash over him. His adrenaline rush was wearing off now and he was about to crash. He moved to the commode and relieved himself and washed his hands and splashed some water on his face before drying off. He looked into the mirror at his bloodshot eyes and tired looking face. All he could think about was they had their Dad back now and he was going to be okay. He stepped out and went into their bedroom passing Dean in the hall. Sam stripped down to his briefs and T-shirt and pulled the covers back to crawl into his bed. He sighed as his body relaxed and he let his mind drift away to a happy place.

Dean came out of the bathroom and looked over at his brother’s still form for a moment before pulling off his jeans and outer shirt and climbing into his own bed. He was weary and exhaustion was taking over his mind as he let his body sink into the mattress. His mind shut down and he drifted away into a sea of nothingness.

* * *

**A/N: The cure worked and now they have to decide their next step. Thank you for joining me on this journey. Comments would make my day. NC**


	11. Chapter 11

It was mid-morning, closer to lunch, before the Winchesters started stirring in the house. Bobby had coffee made when John came upstairs and poured himself a cup and took a seat at the table. It wasn’t long before Bobby joined him, coming from his office, having heard his movements in the kitchen. 

“How ya doing John?” he asked refreshing his cup of coffee.

“I’ve been better,” John sighed sipping his coffee hoping to get the nasty taste from the back of his throat. “Where’s the boys?”

“Still sleeping, I’m thinking,” he replied. “Haven’t heard anything from them since they went upstairs last night.”

“Are they okay? I mean after what happened to me. I don’t remember all of it, but what I do wasn’t pretty.”

“They’re tough John. They’re Winchesters. They’ve learned to handle a lot over the years and were more concerned for you.”

“Bad thing is, the demons have got the Colt now, and that means they can unlock the Devil’s Gate if they get a human to do the heavy lifting,” John admitted unhappily.

“We’ll talk about that after the boys get up. Right now, how ‘bout some breakfast or lunch?”

“I think I’ll get a shower first. I reek from puking my guts up.”

“Alright then, I’m sure the boys will be…”

Before he could finish, Dean wandered into the kitchen and headed for the coffee pot first and after a few sips turned to the table to look at his father and Bobby. “Dad, you’re looking better, how do you feel?”

“I’m not wanting to tear your throat out and drink your blood, so I think I’m good,” John answered.

“Good to hear. Any side effects from the cure?”

“I don’t think so. If you’ll excuse me, I need a shower.” John pushed the chair from the table and stood to head upstairs to the bathroom.

“I sat your bag at the stairs Dad.”

“Thanks son. Should I check on Sam when I go up?”

“He’s okay, just still sleeping. Figured he needed it after everything that went on.”

“You’re probably right,” John agreed. He knew his youngest was more emotional than his brother and things affected him differently. And now, with Sam having powers, he was even more sensitive about things.

“I’ll fix us something to eat while you shower,” Dean said.

“That’s fine son,” John nodded. He pushed away from the table and headed into the other room, picking up his bag and walking up the stairs to the bathroom. 

“Dad,” Sam spoke as he stepped from the bathroom almost running into him as he quickly stepped back.

“Sammy, you okay son?” John asked catching his arm to balance Sam as he stumbled back.

“Yeah Dad, good to see you up.” Sam saw John’s aura was totally different now, more like his old self now.

“I’m going to get a shower, and your brother is fixing something for us to eat.”

“Alright, I’ll head down and see if he needs a hand.”

“I’ll be down when I’m done.”

“Okay,” Sam nodded heading in the bedroom to put his boots on before going downstairs.

**spn**

“I know we’ve all been avoiding the issue,” John started as they sat at the table finishing up their meal.

Dean and Sam looked down at their plates, neither really wanting to broach the subject so soon after nearly losing their father. Sam could feel the unease and tension in the room coming off the others and tried to hide his own.

“That Alastair must have the Colt,” John finished. “Spring is almost here; we’ve got to have a plan to try and stop them from opening the gate.”

“Not knowing the exact time puts us at a disadvantage,” Sam said. “If only I could have seen more or something to tell a date or at least get us closer.” He fisted his hand and punched himself in the leg, frustrated that he couldn’t do more.

“Don’t beat yerself up Sam, without your vision we wouldn’t know they were planning anything,” Bobby tried to sooth him when he saw his anger rising.

“Yeah, we can’t stake the cemetery out for weeks at a time waiting for them to show up,” Dean added. “We don’t have Ash to help us anymore, so do we know anyone else that might be able to track demon signs?”

“We could try one thing,” Sam mumbled not sure he wanted to say it out loud.

“What Sammy?”

“I could try to astral project and find the Colt that way,” Sam offered.

“No, that’s dangerous for you Sam. What if Alastair could trap you or hurt you when you’re like that,” John replied. “He has to be powerful to start a rebellion in Hell and get others to follow him. I won’t let you put yourself in that much danger.”

“I’ll be careful. I don’t know if it’ll work or not but maybe we can find out at least where it’s at. Maybe we can steal the Colt back.”

“No Sam, I can’t risk the chance of losing you,” John insisted. “Not again,” he added softly.

“What if I contact Crowley and see if he knows anything?” Sam suggested seeing that John meant what he said when he looked deep into his mind. He was serious and not pretending. “He did come to us to begin with.”

“You think he would help?” Bobby asked.

“He wants this stopped as much as we do. It’s in his best interest if he wants Alastair out of the way. Besides, he should be doing something to help.”

“I’m sure _your best bud_ would be glad to lend a helping hand,” Dean snorted getting an eye roll and bitch face from Sam.

“Screw you Dean.”

“How do we contact him?” John asked ignoring the brothers’ bickering.

“We summon him. I found a spell to do that in one of Bobby’s books,” Sam shrugged.

“Always the nerd,” Dean chuckled patting him on the shoulder. “So, what do we need to summon the King of Hell?”

**spn**

Sam stood at the table with a bowl filled with the ingredients to summon Crowley. The others stood behind him and waited as he cut his palm letting it bleed into the bowl. He lit the match and dropped it in while saying the Latin words, _‘Et ad congreganrum…Eos coram me’._ Smoke rolled from the bowl and as it cleared Crowley stood with his back to them sipping from a glass. He turned around to look at the group, letting his eyes fall on Sam and Dean.

“He’lo boys,” Crowley said. “Have you some good news for me?”

“No, Alastair got the Colt before we could,” Sam stated getting to the point.

“Bloody hell! That’s just fabulous. And what are you planning on doing about it?”

“Vampires got in the way. Don’t go blaming us,” Dean growled at him not liking his tone.

“Can you find out when he is planning on opening the gate? We know the place and I know it’s early spring, but we need to be more specific,” Sam addressed him. “We know he needs a human to do it. Demons can’t cross into the cemetery because of the iron railroad.”

“You need to up your game if you’re going to stop Alastair,” Crowley insisted angrily.

“You’ve got a stake in this too Crowley. Little help would be nice.”

“Fine! I’ll see what I can find out.” Before anything else could be said the demon vanished leaving them along in the room.

“I can’t believe he’s the King of Hell,” Bobby mumbled. “Wasn’t there anyone else to pick from?”

Sam turned to look at him with a perplexed look on his face that he would say something like that, like Sam really had a choice of Hell’s demons.

“I’m just saying,” Bobby grumbled turning to head back to his office.

“He’s joking,” Dean whispered to him. “Sometimes his humor is a little off.”

“So, what now?” Sam asked.

“I’ll reach out to some people I know and see if they know anyone with computer skills,” John told them walking away as he pulled out his cell.

“I’m going to see what I can do on my laptop. Maybe I can set something up to just focus on that part of Wyoming to show any disturbances and demon signs,” Sam said.

“You say he has to have a human to open the door are you talking about someone like you?” Dean asked.

“Yeah, probably,” Sam nodded. “Azazel did tell me he was moving his plan up and was starting with me because I _was his favorite_ ,” he sneered.

“Well, weren’t you just the lucky one,” he said sarcastically.

“Funny,” Sam shot back.

“So, would he have to do the same thing to someone else? What he did to you?”

“I have no idea. My powers didn’t show until I was given the blood.”

“I may have found someone to help,” John told them as he walked back into the room.

“Who?” they asked together.

“A hunter by the name of Steve Wandell. He knows computers and will watch for demon signs and weird weather around the cemetery. The demons would gather there waiting for the big event to happen. He’ll contact me if he finds anything.”

“I say we head that way tomorrow and check the place out and try to get a plan together,” Dean suggested. “That way we’re not walking in blind.”

“It probably would be a good idea to be close. I’ve got calls out to hunters we trust to see if any are near the area. Wouldn’t hurt to have some backup since we don’t know what to expect,” John said. “Bobby do you know of anyone that has a place in Wyoming we could use?”

“Let me check,” he replied getting up to leave the room.

“Wait, I remember reading somewhere that there’s an old caretaker’s cabin beside the cemetery that’s still standing. I don’t think anyone lives there now, maybe we can use it,” Sam suggested as he rummaged through the papers on the table. “Yes, here it is. It’s not much but at least we’ll be right there when the time comes.”

“Guess we should pack and check our weapons,” Dean told Sam getting up from the table.

The brothers headed up the stairs to prepare for the battle that was ahead of them, neither knowing what the outcome would be. Would they be able to stop the Devil’s Gate from being opened? Can they stop the new threat, Alastair, from triggering his plan to release the devil? Can the demons that want Sam dead be stopped? 

There were too many questions and not enough answers.

* * *

**A/N: The hunters are preparing for the fight, hoping for a positive outcome, but knowing anything could happen. Action will be picking up and the confrontation will be happening soon. Thank you for taking this journey with me. I do thrive on Comments. NC**


	12. Chapter 12

Dean came out of the bathroom with his small bag and stepped to the duffle sitting open on the bed. He looked toward his younger brother and saw he was sitting on his bed with a shirt in his hands staring out the window. He had seen that look enough times over the years to know he was lost in his thoughts as he sorted through all that was going on. He swore Sam had a computer for a brain the way he could work a problem out.

“Hey, you okay?” Dean asked.

Sam startled for a moment as the glazed look in his eyes went away and he focused on Dean. 

“I’m fine,” he answered him.

“You can tell me the truth ‘cause I know you’re anything but fine.”

Sam had the decency to look down at the shirt he was clenching in his hands and let them relax enough to fold it and store it in his duffle. 

“It’s okay to be scared Sammy. Hell, I’m scared on every hunt we take, but that doesn’t stop me from doing it. You’re not in this alone bro and we’ll do everything we can to stop them from opening that gate.”

“But what if we can’t? What if they somehow do raise Lucifer? What do we do then?” Sam asked in a small voice.

“We do what we always do, we fight. Right now, let’s concentrate on one thing at a time. We’ve got most of the puzzle in place, we just need to find the last piece. You gotta believe we can do this. Look at you now. You’re stronger, more powerful, and you’ve got me to have your back. We got this dude.”

“Thanks Dean,” Sam replied giving him a small smile as he finished his packing.

Dean turned away so Sam wouldn’t see the doubt in his eyes. He had his concerns but didn’t want to tell Sam. This might be a battle not all of them walked away from, but he would do his damnest to make sure his little brother did; even if it meant sacrificing himself to do it.

Sam could feel Dean’s worries and knew he was trying to hide them from him. He could not fault him for that. Dean had taken care of him his whole life. It was not something he could just shut off like a light. It was ingrained in him and Sam knew he would do whatever it took to keep him safe. He hoped he could do the same for him.

**spn**

It had been a long drive and darkness was falling across the land by the time the brothers pulled up to the railroad tracks that surrounded the cemetery. They looked around trying to see through but the blackness that engulfed them, but it was not allowing it.

“If you take a left and follow the road around the cemetery, we should find the place,” Sam said.

“Right,” Dean replied pressing lightly on the gas and moving the Impala across the tracks and through the arch. The headlights swept out in front of them trying to dispel the night but wasn’t having much luck. It seemed the darkness was devouring the light and trying to close in around them. “Not creepy at all,” Dean mumbled feeling a cold chill run up his spine. He finally spotted the shack and pulled up beside it, leaving the lights on so they could see.

Sam had packed several camping lanterns along with sleeping bags for them to use. They knew there was no power to the place and just hoped there would be water. They stopped and picked up some basic food items for a few days and John and Bobby were going to bring more when they came the next day. 

“I’ll get a lantern going inside so we can see,” Sam offered getting out and snagging one from the backseat floorboard. He used a flashlight to make his way to the door and forced it open. It screeched on rusty hinges as he let it swing into the structure and glanced around before stepping inside. Soft light began to glow from the windows a few moments later and Sam stepped back to the door.

Dean got out and grabbed some gear to take inside. “Man, this place is a dump,” he said with disgust. The atmosphere seemed heavier inside the railroad tracks and could feel it pressing in on him. He could not hear the night creatures that were usually out at this time and didn’t like the quietness.

“It’s better than sleeping in the open,” Sam offered as he grabbed sleeping bags and duffels.

“Not much, I think most of what’s out there is in here.”

“Just needs a quick sweep.”

“Don’t scream at me for help if you wake up in the morning with something extra keeping you company in your sleeping bag.”

“I don’t think that’ll happen.”

“I may sleep in the car tonight until we have daylight to see exactly what’s in here,” Dean stated looking around with a grimace at how rundown and dirty the place was.

Sam jumped when Dean kicked a collapsed box and something small, furry, and angry scurried out and into the shadows of the room.

“I might join you,” Sam agreed picturing furry creatures crawling over him during the night while he slept and shivered in disgust.

“Put our duffels on the table and grab the food bags. They’re coming with us,” Dean announced as he snagged a sleeping bag and several bags of food. “I got dibs on the back.”

Sam huffed at his brother but did as he was told. He reached for his sleeping bag and picked up the remaining couple of food bags to follow him outside. He paused long enough to pull the warped door shut and joined Dean at the Impala. Once the food was stored, Dean settled in the back and Sam took the front, spreading out their bags to use. The weather was warmer since spring was here, and the land was free of snow and ice, but there was still a chill in the air after the sun went down.

“Nite Sammy,” Dean mumbled as he snuggled down into his bag to get some rest.

“Goodnight Dean,” Sam replied as he slipped off his boots and unzipped his bag to crawl inside. This wasn’t the first time they had slept in the car and probably wouldn’t be the last. Dean’s Baby was their home, had been since the night their Mom died in a fire created by the Yellow Eyed Demon. Sam was tired and went to sleep about the same time as Dean.

**spn**

The wind was warm on his face and he dug his toes into the sand as he watched the water lap just below him. Sam looked out across the ocean watching birds flying around and others running along the shoreline.

“Well, it’s about time you decided to sleep,” Crowley said. He walked up beside Sam and stopped to look out at the ocean.

“What the hell?” Sam questioned in shock as he quickly got to his feet. “This is my dream, how are you even here?”

“My mother was a witch and I have learned a few things along the way,” Crowley praised himself. “How else am I going to contact you since you’re in a _‘no demon’_ zone?”

“Do you have some information for me?” Sam asked eagerly.

“The gate is scheduled to be open within the next two or three days. That’s as specific as I can get.”

“Good, now we can set up a plan to stop that from happening. Anything else you can do or help you can provide?”

“I might have a trick up my sleeve. Now take care of business! I liked my new job and want to keep it.”

Before Sam could come back with a snide remark, Crowley had vanished leaving him alone on the beach. They knew when now, at least they could be prepared. He calmed his mind again so he could get some more rest before waking and letting Dean know what he had learned. The soft movement of the waves lulled him back to a calm state and his mind and body rested.

**spn**

Sunlight was streaming through the windshield of the car as Sam woke and groaned trying to stretch in such tight quarters. He unzipped the bag and sat up looking out into the cemetery watching the mist float through it. It was like watching a parade of spirits passing by as it swept across every surface leaving moisture and dampness.

“Hey, you awake back there?” Sam called to his brother as he looked over the seat at his still form.

“I am now,” Dean grumbled pushed the bag from his face to look at his brother.

“I saw Crowley last night, he found out when.”

“So, tell me.”

“The closest he could narrow it down was the next two or three days. That’s more than we had, so that gives a little time to prepare.”

“Good. Wasn’t there a wood stove in that place? I need a cup of coffee.”

“Yeah, I’ll see if I can get a fire started and water boiling. Good thing Bobby had a few camping supplies so we can at least eat.”

“I gotta say, it doesn’t look much better in the daylight,” Dean surmised casting the shack a grimace as he took it in.

“Hopefully, there’s an old broom or something in there and we can clear some of the unwelcome guests out.”

“If things work out, hopefully we won’t be staying here long.”

“Why don’t you look around for some wood and I’ll see what I can do inside.”

“I’ll get the hatchet from the back and see what I can find.”

They got out of the Impala and separated, one heading inside and the other to the trunk and then around the house. If things worked out, Bobby and their father should be here tonight and hopefully Caleb, Rufus, and Mackie could join them for the fight. The odds might be stacked against them since Sam didn’t know who was going to be coming to open the gate or if they would have special powers like he did. He knew others were out there but had not tried to track any down. It saddened him knowing that whoever came was probably going to die but he did not see a way around it. He found several rags in a cardboard box and wiped down the woodstove and table in the kitchen. There were small pieces of dried wood in a box by the stove and opened the front door to peer inside before arranging the wood and striking a match to light it. It only took a second for the flames to quick spread over the wood and he closed the door back and went to the sink to turn on the faucet, but nothing came out. 

He opened the backdoor and saw an old hand pump sitting at the end of the small porch. Thinking it was worth a shot, he went over to it and pumped the handle up and down. The mechanism was old and squeaked with each push. He went around to the Impala and found the holy oil thinking it would help loosen the pump’s guts. He carefully dripped a little on the rod that went into the pump and gave it a few good pushes. After the second one, it moved easier and without noise. Sam smiled when a small stream of dirty water started to flow from the faucet and pumped faster wanting to get a clean steady flow.

“We have water,” Sam said to Dean when he walked up with small pieces of wood in his arms.

“Great, I found the outhouse, at least it’s still standing. The smell is disgusting to say the least.”

“I’ll get this water on for coffee,” Sam said holding the coffee pot under the stream of water. He filled it and went back inside sitting it on the stove top. The air was heating up in the shack and some of the dampness was dispersing.

“I’ll see if a couple of these windows will open, it’s going to get hot in here if we keep that fire going for long.”

“I’ll leave the backdoor opened too. It looks like there’s a fire pit outside we can use for cooking if needed.”

“Dad sent a text, they’re on their way and the others will be here within the next day.”

“Good, the more we have to help, the better our chances are to stop this.”

“The only good thing right now is no demon can get to us while, we’re in the trap.”

Sam looked around the place and spotted an old broom standing in the corner of the kitchen. He grabbed it and began to sweep the years of dust, dirt, and insect infestation from the place. Spider webs hung randomly around the rooms and he swiped at them to tear them down. He sneezed several times from the dust that he swept out the front door. All they needed to do was basic things to make it livable for a few days. He had to admit, they had stayed in worse over the years of hunting.

Dean got a couple of windows open and pulled the ratty cushions off the couch to take outside and beat the debris from them. He pulled a bandanna from his back pocket and tied it around his face, so he wasn’t breathing in all the crap. Dean checked the one other room in the place to find a bedroom with a rat eaten mattress that he didn’t think anyone would sleep on. He looked around the room before dragging the mattress off the bed and taking it outside to lean against the side of the shack. Dean did the same with the frame so there’d be room to put down the sleeping bags on the floor. 

By the time the water had boiled what Sam thought was long enough, they had the place useable. He made two cups of instant coffee and took one to his brother. They paused in their work and sat on a bench on the front porch and looked out at the cemetery that lay beyond the shack. Both felt uneasy knowing they needed to find the gate and decided on how to defend it and keep it from being opened.

* * *

**A/N: They now have a timeframe to work with and are getting ready for the fight. I will be throwing a few more twists your way before this is over with. The action will heat up so hang on for the journey. Comments would be great. NC**


	13. Chapter 13

Breakfast was sparse, but they had had worse. Both wanted to find the Devil’s Gate and check it out to see what they were going to be facing. The brothers walked through the cemetery looking around figuring it had to be in the middle somewhere and would probably look like a mausoleum. The place was run down, full of weeds, broken headstones, and had an eerie feeling to it.

Sam moved slowly through the place looking around trying to read the names chiseled into the ones still in one piece. He could feel the death that hung around the place, almost stifling the air that hung heavy over the area. There were no sounds of insects or animals scurrying around the area which seemed strange. The sun was blocked by cloud cover making it seem darker than it should be. The clouds were swirling and churning in a slow circular motion that was building with each passing hour. Shadows passed over them as the white clouds began to turn light grey and build to a darker grey. 

“Over here Sammy,” Dean called to him.

Sam looked his way and moved to join him. Dean was studying a door of some kind that seemed to be set into a huge rock building. 

“You think this is it?” Dean asked.

Sam looked it over. He could tell the door split down the middle and in the center was an indented circle with strips of metal seeming to be woven together. He tilted his head and realized it was a pentagram and in the middle was a small hole that he figured the Colt would go into to open it. Sam walked closer and raised his hand, his fingers trembling slightly, to touch the metal. He was thinking it was so cold it almost burned his fingers. He could feel the evil that was trapped behind the door and jerked his hand back to rub his fingers on the leg of his jeans, wincing at the tingling in them.

“You okay Sammy?” Dean asked when he saw his reaction to touching the metal. “Think we could jam something into the hole so the Colt wouldn’t fit?”

“I don’t think it would allow it,” Sam replied. “There’s something about this place…Something that I can’t describe but I am sure the lock can’t be tampered with.”

“Damn! I knew that was too easy a solution.”

“Okay the gate is here, so that’s probably the way whoever the demon sends will come,” Sam said turning to look back toward the front of the cemetery. “You and the others can hide behind the tombstones and I’ll be up here to stop whoever comes.”

“Not without me,” Dean stressed a hardness to his words. He was not letting his brother face this alone no matter how powerful he thought he was.

Sam heard in Dean’s word his determination and stubbornness and knew he would not be able to talk him out of it.

“You know Sam, we might have to kill whoever is coming to open this door. They’ve probably been turned by the demon and won’t be cooperating with us.”

“I know, I know. It’s just if Alastair is using one of Azazel’s special kids like me, they would be my age…They have their whole lives ahead of them and it’s going to be taken away from them.”

“It might not happen, maybe we can wound the person or persons.”

“We know where it is now, let’s get back and wait on Dad and Bobby and see what they think.”

“Yeah, sure, not much we can do here. It might be a good idea to mark a path to it so we can find the way easier if we end up fighting in the dark.”

“I think there’s some ultra-violet spray paint in the trunk. Do we still have those glasses so you can see it?”

“Yeah, we each take a pair and we can guide the others.”

Sam found the spray paint and Dean the glasses. Sam picked out the best route back to the gate and marked headstones with the paint. It could not be seen during the day or at night unless you used the special glasses they had or a black light. Dean found several rags and tore them into strips to mark the path so they could see it during the day. When they were done, they walked it a couple of times to get their bearings and to know the way if they had to rush back to the gate.

Once they were satisfied with the trail, the brothers headed back toward the caretaker’s cabin to wait on the others to arrive. Sam stirred the fire and added wood to heat the stove again. He put on a pot of water to boil to be sure it was useable for drinking and cooking. They had picked up several gallons of bottled water but wanted to be sure they would not run out. Dean decided they should bless the water so if they needed it for demons it would be ready.

**spn**

It was dark when a set of headlights pierced the night and headed toward the shack. Dean and Sam were armed and waiting on the porch when John pulled his truck beside the Impala and parked. Both boys relaxed when they saw who it was and greeted them.

“Dad, Bobby, what happened?” Dean asked when he saw Bobby was limping and John had scratches on his face and blood on his shirt.

“Got jumped by a couple of demons when we stopped for gas,” Bobby told them. “I was able to slip that tape you made up with the exorcism into the deck and blasted their asses back to Hell.”

“But we got tossed around before he could do it,” John added. “They were waiting for us. Wandell called right after that and said the weather was going crazy in this area and there were signs of demon activity all around the place.”

“Yeah, guess we were lucky we didn’t run into any,” Sam said. “Good thing, they can’t get in here so we’re safe for now.”

“I called Caleb and Mackie, they’re meeting up and should be here by lunch tomorrow to help and warned them to be watchful for demons.”

“We know when it’s going to happen. Crowley got me the information,” Sam told them. “In two or three days that’s the closest he could get.”

“Good, maybe that will give us a little time to get prepared,” Bobby noted.

“I think we need to set up a guard at the gate in case it happens sooner,” Dean offered. “I’ve got a flare gun we can use to signal with at night and gunshot should do it during the day.”

“Good idea son, I doubt demons keep to a schedule. We brought some tricks of our own that we can set up.” John said. “We have some battery powered sensors that we can set up around the gate that will alert us if anyone comes near it.”

“I’ll take first watch tonight and set those sensors up,” Dean said. He stepped into the shack and picked up a backpack that was setting at the door. “You wanna come relieve me in four hours?”

“Yeah, just be careful Dean,” Sam cautioned him.

“Let’s get the things from the truck and I’ll show you how to set the sensors,” John told Dean as he followed him out.

“You know me, I’m always careful,” Dean said. He stopped at John’s truck and waited as he pulled a bag from the back and opened it showing Dean how to operate and set the devices. Once that was done, he put on the special glasses and turned to head into the cemetery to the gate to guard it.

“Come on in, it’s not much but better than camping outside. I can heat water for coffee.”

“Alright, let me get our things from the truck,” John replied reaching in and grabbing their bags. “I have more water and food when we need it.”

“That’s good,” Sam mumbled as he looked out into the darkness the way Dean had gone, feeling uneasy and worried. He did not like them splitting like this but knew Dean was right, what if whoever was going to open the gate came sooner, they had to be ready.

“He’ll be alright Sam. Dean’s a good hunter,” John whispered squeezing his shoulder for assurance.

**spn**

It did not take Dean long to find the gate as he followed the marked trail. He dropped his pack and moved farther out from the gate to set up sensors around it and arming them. If anyone broke the signal it would alert him on a small handheld screen he kept. He found a place among the shadows of the headstones that would give him a clear view of the gate and anyone coming toward it. Dean relaxed and let his eyes adjust to the darkness and listened to the sounds surrounding him and kept an eye on the screen he propped on his pack. It was creepy enough to be out here alone but being in the cemetery made it that much more eerie. The night life started back up once he became still and filled the air with their voices. Dean pulled a light blanket from his pack and draped it over his shoulders for warmth. He laid the flare gun by his side to be ready if he needed it.

Dean studied the shadows around him as a cool breeze blew through the place bringing with it a rolling fog. It danced and encased the headstones seeking out every inch of the place. Dean could feel the dampness on his face and pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders. There was no moon tonight and that made it darker and harder to see. He knew he could not use a light for fear of someone seeing it and settled for letting his senses take over. They were all hyper alert as he let himself feel the world around him searching for anything that should not be there.

_“You okay?”_ a voice whispered in his head.

Dean jerked and went on full alert when he heard his brother’s voice in his head and huffed before mumbling, “Yeah until you scared the shit out of me.”

_“Sorry, just checking.”_

“Get some sleep Sammy, I’ll see you in four hours.”

_“Okay.”_

It still amazed Dean that Sam could do these things and at times freaked him out, but he would never tell Sam that. Their relationship was strong again and he did not want to do anything to destroy it. The bond they had grew even more now and seemed to strengthen with each battle, ordeal, encounter, trial, struggle, and conflict they went through. Whatever happened in the next few days, he was going to do his best to be sure Sam survived; even if it meant he did not.

* * *

**A/N: The gate has been found and now they have to wait for the demon’s plan to play out. Will they be able to stop it? And at what cost? Thank you for taking this journey with me. I do love comments. NC**

  
  
  



	14. Chapter 14

A twig broke nearby, and Dean peered hard into the darkness as he picked up the flare gun in one hand and his gun with the other.

_“It’s me,”_ Sam whispered in his head. _“Don’t shoot.”_

Dean un-cocked his gun and laid it back in his lap as he waited for Sam to find him. It was only a few minutes before Sam stepped from the darkness and over to him. He was starting to get used to his brother speaking to him like this. If he was not distracted or focused on other issues, Dean knew when it was going to happen. He would feel a slight tickle in his head like someone ran a feather over his mind and then he would hear Sam’s voice.

“Things been quiet?”

“Yeah, nothing but the creepy crawlies out tonight,” Dean told him getting up and stretching his stiff body. He let the blanket drop from his shoulders before picking up the screen and his pack. “I set up the sensors around the place so if anything tries to cross the lines it will show on the screen here,” Dean explained handing the device to him. “You going to be okay out here alone Sammy?”

“Yes, I’ll be fine, go get some rest,” Sam told him looking at the screen for a moment. He took Dean’s place on the ground where he could see the gate and the area around it. He pulled a travel cup of coffee from his pack and sipped on it letting it warm his body. Sam watched Dean disappear in the blackness, quickly losing sight of him. He looked up at the night sky not seeing any stars or light from the moon that was covered in clouds.

Once Dean had left and Sam settled down, the night came back to life around him. He listened to the singing, chirping, and odd sounds that surrounded him and let his senses fan out trying to pick up anything out of place. He flexed his powers slightly and could almost sense the souls that had been laid to rest here. He did not like having to disturb the dead, but it could not be helped. He had worries about what lay ahead of them and if they could stop the gate from being opened. He did not know what fallout they would have if the gate was opened, but he knew it would be bad.

The next few hours passed slowly as Sam watched the sunrise of a new day chase away the darkness. His eyes adjusted to the change with the light creeping through the trees and around the tombstones. He was stiff and chilled and could use something hot to drink. He got up slowly, stretching his tall frame listening to his back pop in several places. Sam slipped the screen into his pack and picked up the blankets to shake them out and fold to carry back. _‘On my way back,’_ he whispered to his brother. He made his way through the cemetery to the caretaker’s shack as the sun peaked over the trees. Sam gave a small smile to see Dean waiting on the porch for him with a cup of coffee in his hand.

“Thanks,” Sam said. He accepted the cup and took a sip letting the hot liquid warm him from the inside out. He wrapped both hands around the metal cup feeling the heat soak into his hands and take the numbness away.

“Caleb and Mackie will be here in a couple of hours. Dad’s fixing some breakfast for us.”

“Dad’s cooking?” Sam asked shock in his voice.

“Yeah, my thoughts too, but he said he could handle it.”

“Guess we need to go on in then, not keep him waiting.”

They headed through the open door and was greeted with the smell of pancakes being cooked. John had brought a mix that only needed water and shook to make the batter. He was flipping them in a cast iron frying pan and transferring them to paper plates sitting nearby. 

“Good you’re back,” John said looking around to see his sons standing nearby. “Grab a plate, there’s syrup on the table there.”

“Morning Sam, things go okay last night?” Bobby asked accepting a plate from John.

“Smells good Dad,” Dean praised him grabbing plastic forks and passing one to Sam.

Someone had found several chairs that were usable, and a couple of folding chairs were set around the table for them. The brothers took a seat and began to eat quickly wondering when their Dad learned to cook. They wolfed them down and washed them down with strong coffee.

“Anyone want seconds?” John asked went he saw how quickly they devoured the pancakes.

“Naw, don’t want to be too full,” Dean told him. “That hit the spot.”

“It was good Dad,” Sam agreed as he wiped his mouth on a paper towel.

“Not bad John for what you had to work with,” Bobby commented. 

“I’m thinking we should plant some weapons around in the cemetery as backup so we can be ready for anything,” Dean suggested.

“Let’s wait for the others and we’ll do that,” John noted. “Need to have everyone on the same page when this goes down.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. Guess all we can do is wait.”

**spn**

“They’re here,” Sam said looking toward the open door as the sound of a car engine got closer. They all headed out onto the porch and waited as Caleb and Mackie got out of a car and moved toward them.

“Hey guys, heard you needed some backup,” Caleb greeted them bumping fist with Dean and then Sam. “New look there Sam?”

“Yeah, well, never seemed the right time to shave,” Sam chuckled running his hand across his beard.

“Glad you two could make it,” Bobby said.

“So, what are we up against?” Mackie asked.

“Why don’t we have a seat inside and we’ll go over what we know,” John offered heading in first. “We’ve got water and coffee may still be warm.”

They hunters moved inside and gathered around the table to discuss what was going on and how they were going to attack the problem. Everyone offered their opinions and suggestions on the matter and a plan was hashed out. Dean and Sam showed them where the gate was, and they planted weapons around the place as backup since they did not know how many enemies they would be facing.

They gathered back at the shack to regroup and decided who was taking shifts during the night. Dean and Sam cooked some food for their dinner so they could eat. The day seemed to drag for them as they all prepared themselves mentally and physically for what lay ahead of them.

Sam was loading extra clips for his gun when Dean joined him on the porch. He looked over at him as he settled beside him.

“You ready for this?” Dean finally asked.

“I guess as ready as any of us are,” Sam sighed sitting the clips aside as staring off in the distance as he willed his jittery mind to stop racing.

“It’s okay to be scared Sammy. I think we all are.”

“I’m just scared one of us is going to get hurt or worse killed,” Sam admitted.

“Look, we’re all good hunters and know how to handle ourselves. You know Sammy every time we take a hunt there’s a chance we could get hurt or die. This is not any different than one of them. We treat it the same way and watch each other’s back.”

“Yeah, I get that, but we’ve not faced anything like this before. What if whoever comes is stronger than me?”

“Please Sammy,” Dean scoffed. “You may have powers you don’t even know about. You’re strong, so don’t doubt yourself. You’ll be able to handle it. I have faith in you bro.”

“Thanks, Dean, for believing in me. I hope I can live up to them.”

“You know I got your back no matter what.”

“I do, I just hope it’s enough,” Sam mumbled more to himself than to Dean. 

**spn**

The morning came dark and cloudy with a cool breeze stirring up leaves and debris. The hunters were hidden among the tombstones as they waited to see who was going to show. Bobby and John were at the Devil’s Gate, Dean and Sam were in the middle and Caleb and Mackie were on either side. They did not have to wait long before the sensor Mackie set at the entrance to the cemetery went off alerting them someone was coming.

“Shit,” Dean hissed when they saw a troop of kids heading their way. He counted nine males and females that looked Sam’s age walking into the cemetery toward them.

“I’ll try to stop as many as I can,” Sam said holding his arm up and focusing on the one guy in the front. He concentrated harder but nothing happened. 

“Sammy?”

“It’s not working,” Sam huffed pulling out his gun.

“How are we supposed to know who has the Colt?” Dean asked as he made ready to confront the ones coming toward them.

“We don’t, we’ll have to stop all of them,” Sam replied. “We know why you’re here. Whoever has the Colt, you don’t have to do this.”

The ones in the front stopped for a moment to stare at the brothers. None spoke as they faced off with each other.

“I don’t know what the demon told you or promised you, but he’s lying. What he wants you to do will release untold evils into the world. You can’t do this,” Sam called to them hoping maybe he could get through to them.

“So, you’re the one who was the first awakened?” one of the guys said as he eyed Sam.

“Oh, in case you didn’t know. Your powers won’t work on us, but they will him,” a female commented as she used her power to throw Dean backwards away from Sam.

“Dean!” Sam yelled as he brought his gun up and shot the young woman before she could hurt Dean.

Other shots rang out around them and several others fell to the ground while the remaining ones scattered among the headstones. Sam ran to Dean to be sure he was okay as he looked around at the others. The brothers did not see one of the guys sneaking up from behind them toward the gate. They were too busy trying to help Caleb and Mackie fight against the special children. 

Sam was shocked when an angry growl erupted nearby, and an invisible force slammed into a guy ripping him apart. He was not sure what it was but thought Crowley must have sent it to help them. The beast took out another one without hesitation. 

“Glad whatever the hell that is, is on our side,” Dean yelled at him as he dodged a ball of fire thrown from one of the young women. He rolled and shot at her making her stumble backwards away from him. 

**spn**

“Stop,” John growled raising his gun and aiming at a guy Sam’s age. “I don’t want to shoot you.”

“You won’t,” the guy said. “Why don’t you put that gun to your head?”

John tried to resist the words as he tried to make his hand stop moving toward his head. He fought with everything he had but could not stop as he put the gun to his temple.

“Now squeeze the trigger,” the guy told him with glee.

John’s finger tightened on the trigger but before he could pull it a shot ran out from the side and the guy fell to the ground screaming in pain. John jerked the gun from his head as it went off making his ears ring. Bobby stepped out in the open but before he could get closer the guy threw both John and Bobby backwards and drug himself to the gate. He pulled the gun out and quickly inserted it into the lock and turned it. A shot ran out from behind him piercing his heart. He was dead before he hit the ground.

John and Bobby watched as the lock on the gate suddenly began to whirl and turn rapidly. John jerked the gun from the lock, and both felt the pressure building behind the door. It buckled several times and Bobby grabbed John to pull him out of the way before the door ripped open allowing demons and other beings from Hell to escape.

“The door!” Bobby yelled running to it and pushing as hard as he could to close it.

John got on the other side and tried to help get it closed. They never saw Sam looking their way to see the door open. He threw a hand toward the door and used his powers to help slam it closed, stopping any other beings from escaping. None knew the damage was done as demons fled the area blasting through the iron railing and destroying the Devil’s Trap.

Sam was focused on his father and did not see the guy that was stalking toward him. His instincts warned him before a knife could be plunged into his back. Sam turned and tried to dodge the knife but was stabbed in the shoulder. He cried out in pain and fell to the ground as the guy loomed over him.

“I’m going to make you pay for killing my father,” Tom spat at him as he raised the knife again. Before he could attack Sam, a shot ran out striking him in the chest.

John heard his son cry out in pain and quickly spotted him going down and the guy standing over him ready to kill him. He raised the Colt and fired watching as the bullet struck the guy. He staggered back and looked down at his chest with black eyes as red and white streaks ran through the meat suit and cracking sounded loudly before he fell to his knee and face planted on the ground.

“No!” screeched a dark-haired female as she watched her brother die. “You’re going to pay for this you bastard!” she screamed. Her focus zeroed in on Dean since he was the closest and she threw him back into a headstone knocking the breath out of him. 

Sam did not hesitate as he grabbed onto her dark soul and jerked her away from Dean. He brought her to her knees and pulled her out of the meatsuit and crushed her demon soul until it was nothing. He was panting hard as he stumbled toward Dean who had not moved. 

“Dean, hey man, look at me,” Sam spoke rapidly as he rolled him to his back to check his injuries. Blood was running down the side of his head and he was unconscious. “Caleb, Mackie, you guys okay?” Sam called to them as he pulled out a bandanna to press to the wound on Dean’s head. 

“Little beat up but we’re standing,” Mackie replied as he helped Caleb to stand. They looked around at the bodies scattered throughout the graveyard as they moved toward Sam.

“Dad, Bobby, you okay?” he asked looking behind him but not seeing anyone.

John saw Sam attack the demon that had hurt Dean and looked around at Mackie and Caleb to see they seemed okay. He turned to speak to Bobby when a man appeared before him and he stared into the white eyed demon’s eyes. 

“Well, well, John Winchester just who I need,” Alastair said. 

John could not move as Alastair held him in place. When he saw his attention diverted, John dropped the Colt behind him hoping he would not notice and saw Bobby taking aim at the demon.

Shots rang out and went through Alastair’s chest but did not hurt him. Alastair looked down at the holes and waved his hand sending Bobby flying backwards away from them. He turned back to John and grabbed his arm disappearing with him before any of the others knew what had happened.

“Dad! Bobby!” Sam yelled again looking to where he knew they had been. He did not want to leave Dean and turned to Caleb and Mackie. “Go check on them, they were at the gate.”

They nodded and headed that way as Sam turned back to his brother who was staring to come around. He knew something was wrong as his stomach clenched into knots when only three hunters walked back toward them.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked the twist I tossed in here and now Sam and Dean have to save their father. Thank you for taking this journey with me. I do like comments. NC**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: The brothers get help from a familiar ally. I do like comments and you would make my day if you leave one. NC**

* * *

Sam looked at the hunters as they walked slowly toward them. His eyes darted around for the one that was missing.

“Bobby, where’s Dad?” Sam asked, his tone on the verge of panic.

“I’m sorry son, I tried to stop him. The white eyed demon took him,” Bobby replied. He could see the fear and panic building on Sam’s face as he let go of his brother.

“Take care of Dean, I’ve got to go after them,” he stated turning to walk away until Dean grabbed his arm and pulled him back making Sam hiss in pain.

“Hold on,” Dean said tightening his grip and jerking Sam’s jacket back to see the blood on his shirt. “You’re not going anywhere without me and that injury is being looked at before we do anything.”

“I’ve got to find Dad!” Sam insisted trying to break his hold on his arm.

Even though Dean was wavering slightly, he never released his grip on his brother’s arm, determined to make him see reason. “We will Sammy, but we have to be smart about this.”

“Dean’s right son; won’t do your Daddy any good if you bleed out trying to save him. Let’s go back to the shack and both of you need looked at,” Bobby said trying to be the voice of reason. “He dropped this before he was taken.” Bobby held out the Colt to Sam.

Sam looked at the gun and reverently took it looking at the markings and how old it looked. He turned it over and examined every inch of the gun trying to determine its secrets. He opened the chamber and saw four bullets left and closed it back. “Okay, but once I’m patched up, I’m am going after Dad.”

“ **We’re** , going after Dad,” Dean stated firmly, letting Sam know he was not being left out of this.

They all turned to head back to the shack when the sun hit something laying by a male body that caught Dean’s attention. He carefully leaned over, bracing himself so he would not find himself back on the ground. It was a knife but not like any he had ever seen before. There were sigils and writing on the blade and the handle looked like it was made from a human bone. There was blood on the blade that he figured was Sam’s and he clenched his jaw tightly.

“Bobby what do you make of this?” Dean asked stepping to him and holding out the knife.

Bobby took it and looked it over before turning his gaze back up. “Where did you find this?”

“By the body of that possessed guy that must have stabbed Sammy.”

“He was a demon and yer Daddy shot him with the Colt. I saw that much during the fight.”

“Yeah, he said I killed his father,” Sam offered.

“So, this knife came from hell,” Dean surmised. “You think it’ll kill a demon?”

“It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I’d hang onto it.”

“I will,” Dean replied taking it back and finding a sheath for the knife before slipping it into his jacket pocket.

“What are we going to do with the bodies?” Mackie asked glancing around at them laying randomly throughout the cemetery.

“Nothing, we’re packing up and getting out of here. We’ll find a motel so I can patch these two up. You two can head on out. Don’t think there’s much you can do now,” Bobby told them.

“You sure, we don’t mind hanging around,” Caleb offered.

“I can’t ask you to go where I’m going,” Sam told them. “You helped enough. We’ll take it from here.”

“Alright then, you know our numbers if you need us again,” Caleb replied giving them a salute goodbye.

All were in a somber mood as they quickly put a field dressing on Sam’s wound and pads on Dean’s head wound before packing their vehicles to leave. Bobby was driving John’s truck and the brothers fought over who was the least hurt to drive the Impala. Sam won out since he was not seeing double part of the time. They followed each other out and split up when they got to the main road. Sam followed Bobby until he found an exit showing lodging, food and gas. 

Sam’s mind was whirling trying to figure out why the demon would take their father. He could not understand the purpose behind that, and it scared him. He fought the dull ache in his shoulder from the stab wound and was happy it was only a flesh wound and nothing major was hit. It would probably need stitches, but it was not the first time for that either. He looked over at Dean and saw how pale he looked and out of focus his eyes seemed. Sam wanted to make Dean stay behind and let him handle this, but he knew that was not an option unless he tied him up or knocked him out. He knew for certain that neither would go over well with Dean. Sam pulled in behind Bobby and waited as he went in to get two rooms for them.

**spn**

“Both of you sit and no sassing me either,” Bobby demanded once he had their door open and let them in with their bags.

“Yes sir,” both said at the same time knowing that tone of voice and knew better than to disobey.

“Looks like you’re bleeding the worse Sam, so I’ll start with you.” Bobby dug out the first aid kit and waited as Sam grunted in pain when he finally got his jacket and outer shirt off.

Dean saw him struggling with the T-shirt and reached over to help him remove it exposing the field dressing on his right shoulder. Sam had been lucky, if he had not shielded away, he would have been stabbed in the heart and it gave Dean a chill to see how close his brother came to losing his life.

“Alright, let’s see what we have here,” Bobby mumbled removing the dressing and wiping at the excess blood. The blood leakage had slowed but still a small trickle ran down his chest. “This is gonna hurt so take a swig before I start,” he warned Sam. Bobby let him drink a long swallow from a bottle of whiskey he kept in his bag before taking it back. He took a towel and held it below the wound so he could pour whiskey over it.

Sam had been through this type of situation before but still could not stop himself from hissing and tensing when the whiskey hit the open wound. He gritted his teeth and stiffened his body as Bobby made ready to stitch the wound closed. This was usually Dean’s job, but he was in no shape to do it. Sam took in the smell of Old Spice and gunpowder as Bobby leaned in close so he could see. He could feel each prick of the needle as Bobby caught skin and pulled it together stopping the seepage of blood. Bobby finished with the stitches and carefully wiped it before applying cream and a pad over the wound. 

“Alright, you’re good. Okay Dean, you’re next,” he said turning to the other brother.

“Give me that first,” Dean replied. He snagged the bottle and winced as the whiskey burned all the way down but took another long, swallow, coughing and clearing his throat as his eyes watered.

“That’s enough boy, don’t need ya drunk with a head injury.” Bobby took the whiskey back and poured some on a clean towel to clean the gash on his head.

“Sonovab…” Dean growled but held still for Bobby to finish.

“Well, couple of stitches will have you set,” he told him. “Hold still won’t take a moment to put them in.”

Sam moved to get his duffle and find a shirt to put on deciding a button up would work easier than a T-shirt since he could not raise his arm to put on the pullover. He sure did not want to tear the stitches out Bobby had just put in and face his wrath. He was careful as he eased the shirt up his arm and gave a brief smile when Bobby reached over to help. He began to button the shirt and Bobby finished putting the stitches in Dean’s head wound when all hell broke loose.

Sam heard the disturbance across the room and looked up to see a dark-haired man wearing a suit and trench coat appear in their room.

“What the fu…” Dean started scrambling for his gun and drawing down on him.

“I mean you no harm,” the man spoke to the three hunters who had guns trained on him.

“Who the hell are you?” Sam asked as he held a gun on him trying to hide his pain.

“I am an angel of the Lord, my name is Castiel,” the angel announced looking at the three humans. “Those weapons will not hurt me; you can put them away.”

“Why should we believe you?” Dean demanded. “No one’s ever heard of angels or seem one.”

Castiel stood tall and the shadows of huge wings spread out from his shoulders and filled the room causing the hunters to gasp in surprise and shock. They were dark golden in color that changed to lighter gold along the lower curve of the wings. The air seemed to fill with static and make the hairs on the hunter’s necks and arms stand up. He pulled them back and they disappeared as quickly as they appeared.

“Holy shit,” Dean exclaimed. 

“If you’re an angel why do you look like an accountant?” Sam questioned.

“This is a vessel; he is a righteous and god-fearing man.”

“You mean you possessed him?” Bobby growled with disgust.

“Only with his permission, he had to allow me to possess him. It was what he wanted.”

“I guess if there are demons, there would be angels to balance things out.”

“Why are you here?” Sam asked slowly lowering the gun when it seemed what he was telling them was true.

“I have come to help. Your father has been taken to Hell where he will be tortured by the demons trying to get him to break the First Seal so Lucifer can rise.”

“Tortured,” Dean whispered as he sat down hard on the bed trying to stave off the dizziness.

“I can help you,” Castiel said stepping toward Sam. 

Sam held his ground as the angel approached him. He sensed Dean get to his feet and move beside him as the angel pressed a hand over his wounded shoulder. Sam could feel a warmth under the hand and a tickling at the wound site as the injury was healed and the skin was meshed back together. 

Dean watched closely as a bluish glow appeared around the angel’s hand for a few seconds before he removed it and turned to him. Dean pulled his head back as the angel raised his hand to touch him.

“I’m healed,” Sam said pulling the pad away and moving his arm without any pain. He was surprised to see the stitches were gone and a small whitish scar was all that remained.

“I can heal you too,” Castiel stated trying once again to touch Dean’s head.

Every cell in his body was saying do not let this angel touch you, but Dean held still and felt two fingers touch his forehead. He felt a warmth spread across his head and the pain behind his eyes suddenly was wiped away. Dean blinked several times and looked to Sam in amazement as he carefully felt his head not feeling the gash anymore.

“Can you help us get our father out of Hell?” Sam asked hopefully. If an angel can heal and suddenly appear out of thin air, then maybe he could help them.

Castiel looked at Sam and cocked his head slightly as he studied him. There was something about this young man that was different, but he could not quiet see it.

“We have to find a way into Hell,” Castiel stated.

“I think I can handle that,” Sam said. “I just need to summon someone.”

“Crowley?” Dean asked already knowing the answer.

“Who is that?” Castiel asked.

“King of Hell,” Sam said matter of fact. “So, you’re an angel and you don’t know who the King of Hell is?”

“I do not know all things, nor do I have a need to know who rules Hell,” Castiel told him.

“Do we have the ingredients to do a summoning spell?” Sam asked Bobby.

“Maybe between what you have, and yer Daddy has, I think we do.”

“I can get whatever you need if you like,” Castiel offered.

“C’mon Dean, let’s see what Dad has and what we have and do this,” Sam told him.

“Shouldn’t we check our weapons too?” he asked not wanting to storm Hell without being prepared.

“Yeah, you’re right. I know the Colt will kill a demon, but do we have anything else besides me?”

“I picked this up by the demon who stabbed you,” Dean said. He took out the demon knife to show him.

“May I see that?” Castiel asked as soon as he saw the knife.

“You know something about it?”

“This was forged in the bowels of Hell and will kill a demon and other supernatural creatures but will not kill an angel.”

“Good to know and I plan on keeping this then.”

“We can take some holy water, but I don’t think we have much of anything else we can use,” Sam said.

“Alright then, guess we make a call and invite ourselves into Hell,” Dean noted rubbing his hands together ready to get this over with and rescue their Dad. He was still leery of the angel but figured he was powerful enough to have as an ally. Dean hoped he would be their wildcard in the fight.

  
  



	16. Chapter 16

Consciousness came back slowly to John as he rolled his head and tried to move. He frowned and pushed at the fog that was clouding his brain so he could think. The last thing he remembered was the cemetery and the Devil’s Gate opening and then the white eyed demon was in front of him. His eyes sprang open as he struggled and jerked on his bindings. He blinked rapidly to clear his vision to see he was in a room with rock walls stained with streaks of what he could only imagine was blood. He looked to his arms and body to see he was bound to a rack with his arms spread out from his body. John looked around but did not see anyone else in the room and only hoped his sons were okay.

“I see you are awake,” a soft, soothing voice said as he stepped into view.

John focused his attention on him and knew he was the white eyed demon thought his eyes were brown now. He did not speak knowing there was no use. He was not sure where he was but could venture a guess and knew there was not much hope of getting away.

“I hope you like your accommodations,” the demon continued. “You see we’re going to be seeing a lot of each other. I need something from you, so you have two choices to make. One, you can give in now and save yourself so much needless pain or two, I will torture you until you finally give in.” He had moved to a table that sat nearby and picked up a curved knife before stepping back to John.

“Go to hell,” John spat at him in defiance.

“As you wish,” Alastair sighed before plunging the knife into his stomach and dragging it across his body.

John gritted his teeth as the pain radiated through his body, but he would not give him the satisfaction of crying out. He watched as his clothes were cut from his body and blood began to drip from him in a steady flow. His only wish was to die quickly and get this over with. Skin was peeled from his arms exposing the nerves that screamed in pain as he arched his body trying to get away from the knife. John lost consciousness before Alastair jerked out his heart and held it in his hand.

When John opened his eyes again, he was shocked that there was not a mark on his bare chest, and he was still alive. He was still bound to the rack and his bloody, ragged clothes were bunched up under him. 

“You see this is Hell, here no one dies unless we want them to and it’s so much fun seeing the look in your eyes when you realize you can’t die here. You will be tortured, beaten, ripped apart until you are broken and do as I wish. When you think you are dead, you will be made whole so we can start all over again.”

John’s heart almost stopped beating as the words sunk in. He watched the demon walk around his body as he trailed the knife down his arms slicing easily into them. He could not die, but why would this demon need him and what did he want him to do? What value was he to him?

“This is just a sample of what I can do to you. I am the Master Torturer of Hell and I have honed my skills over the centuries.” The demon continued to carve into his skin like it was a canvas for his drawing pleasure.

John grunted and small cries of pain escaped from between his pinched lips, but he never screamed as the demon diced away at his fingers and toes. When he came for the eyes blinding him, John’s heart was beating so hard he thought it would explode. Not being able to see was worse than the other wounds. He could not see the demon and know what to expect. He jerked his head back and forth as his pain raked body waited for the final blow to come. 

“I thought you said he would be easy to break,” a female voice said nearby. “We need to have him broken or the plan can’t start.”

John stilled as he listened to the new voice wondering what she meant by that. He wondered what plan they were talking about and now more than ever he was determined to upset their plan. He would not break, let them kill him over and over and torture him, he would resist for his son’s sakes, for the world. Those were his last thoughts as the knife cut through skin and bone piercing his heart and killing him.

“I’ve only just begun,” Alastair told Lilith as he wiped his bloody hands on a rag before glancing at the mutilated body on the rack.

**spn**

The match was thrown into the bowl and Sam stepped back and waited for Crowley to appear. Dean had found an abandoned building to summon him to since a motel room was a little small for his taste. 

“Where is he?” Sam hissed under his breath as the smoke began to clear and he saw him standing in front of them with a bathrobe on and drink in his hand. He wondered if that was a thing for him.

“You do like to call at the most inappropriate times Moose,” Crowley said. He sipped his liquor while surveying the others over the rim of the glass. “What do we have here?”

Castiel stood tall and looked at the demon with disgust as he stepped closer. He could not believe the humans were working with a demon.

“Looks like you’ve made a new friend. So, this must be serious if the angels are deciding to stick their noses in.”

“We need to get into Hell Crowley,” Sam demanded.

“Why would you need to do that?” he asked. “No wait, would it be because you screwed up again?” his voice rising in anger at the end.

“Our Dad was taken, and I plan on getting him back.”

“Oh yes, dear old Dad, I wondered which of you was going to be the one he picked,” he replied looking to Dean when he said it. “I knew it wouldn’t be you since you’ve been tainted.”

Sam’s face hardened and his voice got stronger, “Are you going to help or not? Or should I find someone else to rule Hell?”

“Cool your jets Moose, I never said I wouldn’t help. Besides, I have a stake in the outcome of this debacle too. So, are you, Squirrel, and Feathers coming and what about the old man?”

“Who you callin’ old?” Bobby growled at him as he raised his gun.

“Easy Bobby, you can shoot him later,” Sam said.

“Only the three of us, Bobby you have to stay here in case something happens to us. You need to contact the hunters to let them know about the demons that got loose,” Sam told him.

“You know I don’t like this, but I’ll do what you want. You two boys just be careful and come back to me, you understand? And get yer Daddy out of Hell.”

“Yeah Bobby, we will,” Dean nodded.

“Oh, such a touching moment here,” Crowley butted in. “Do you want to do this or not?”

“Can you tell where our Dad is being held in Hell?” Sam asked.

“No, it’s warded against me, but I have two pets that wouldn’t have a problem finding him. Do you have something with his scent on it?”

“In the room, something Dad wore,” Sam said turning to Dean.

“Yeah, but it’ll take me nearly an hour to get there and back and you’re not going in alone.”

“I can take you to the motel Dean,” Castiel said placing a hand on his arm and suddenly they were gone.

“Crap!” Sam exclaimed in surprise and stumbled back slightly when they suddenly reappeared again.

“I’m going to be sick,” Dean groaned as he leaned over and planted his hands on his knees as his body adjusted to traveling by angel power. “Got it,” he grunted holding up a shirt of their Dad’s. “Next time a little more warning dude.”

“It helps to bend the knees when landing,” Castiel offered.

“Okay, Crowley, take us to Hell,” Sam told him when he saw Dean was okay and they were ready. He shouldered a pack with first aid supplies and waters as Dean and Castiel stepped to him.

“As you wish,” Crowley replied snapping his fingers. 

All four disappeared leaving Bobby standing alone in the building. He knew there was not anything else he could do here and headed out to the Impala to drive it back to the motel. He had calls to make and get the word out to other hunters. He did not know how many evil sobs got out, but at least they were able to stop all of Hell pouring out into their world. 

**spn**

Sam and Dean stumbled and grabbed each other as they landed in the throne room of Hell. Crowley and Castiel merely looked on with little interest since neither were affected with this means of travel. 

“This sucks,” Dean gasped as he swallowed the bile in the back of his throat. He did not want to upchuck all over the place and look weak.

“I see what you mean,” Sam mumbled as he drew in some long breaths trying to control his gag reflex. Once he was sure he was not going to face plant at the demon’s feet, he cleared his throat and spoke, “How do we find our Dad?”

“My pets will help with that,” Crowley stated. He walked to the door and opened it so he could call out, “Juliet, Jasper come to Daddy my loves.”

Dean and Sam frowned and looked at each other not sure what to expect when they suddenly heard shuffling and growling coming from Crowley’s side but could see anything but a shimmering motion in the air.

“Do you see anything?” Dean whispered to Sam.

“Hellhounds,” Castiel filled them in. “They can’t be seen by the human eye.”

“That’s just swell how do we follow them?” Dean asked throwing up his arms.

“Feathers can see them, and you two buffoons can hear them,” Crowley said.

“Crowley, I’d watch how you talk to us,” Sam said. Now that he was back in Hell, he could feel the power all around him. Sam stepped away from them and lowered his head as he raised his arms out straight from his side. With his eyes closed, Sam raised his head and summoned the immense forces surrounding them and opened himself up to them letting them flow through his body. He opened his eyes as he lowered his arms as the forces flashed in his eyes making the almost black.

“I’m ready now,” he stated his voice sounding strong, deep and so not his.

Dean watched his brother and felt a tingle in the air like a small charge making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He was not sure what Sam was doing but it was scaring him. He remembered what their Dad had said about the demons calling him _‘Boy King’_ and now knew why. This was a side of his brother that he had never seen before and he hoped when this was all over that he would get his brother back and not some crazed version of him.

“Let them smell the shirt,” Crowley said. He did not comment on what had just happened deciding it would be wise to not irritate Sam. It was better to have him as a person who tolerated him and not as an enemy. Once this was over, he still wanted to rule Hell. “You are to protect this human,” he instructed his pets who moved around at his feet.

Dean stepped forward and held out the shirt. He could not see anything except a slight ripple in the air as he felt the hot breath of the hell hounds on his hand. He could tell they were sniffing and getting the scent as they butted and even licked his hand making him cringe. 

“Juliet sweetheart, these two can’t see you so leave a trail for them,” Crowley cooed as he patted and scratched the hell hound’s head lovingly. “Now go find him.”

Dean and Sam quickly sprang into motion when they heard the growling and huffing from the beast. They raced out the door with Castiel close behind them. 

“Do leave a few demons alive for me boys,” Crowley called. “I’ll be alone after you’ve taken care of business.”

**spn**

Dean and Sam tried not to let what they saw deter them from their mission to save their father. They went down halls of jail cells with souls crying out to them to save them. Souls were screaming in agony that echoed down the corridors and the stone walls looked like they were painted with blood. The smell was nauseating, the air filled with the coppery, metal scent that they could even taste. The brothers could hear the hellhounds in front of them sniffing and growling ominously.

The hounds led them deeper and deeper into the pits of Hell, pausing at each intersection to raise their heads and hunt the scent of the human they were tracking. Several times Dean stumbled into one of them since he could not see them. Jasper growled at him but did not try to attack. Dean carefully petted his back hoping that would appease him.

“Nice doggy,” Dean offered.

“Really Dean?” Sam said rolling his eyes at his brother’s remark. 

“Is something wrong? Why have they stopped?” Dean asked turning to Castiel who was behind them.

“It seems they are searching for the scent,” he commented watching the hellhounds raise their heads and sniff the air in every direction. “I think they’ve found it and are moving again.”

“This way,” Sam said. With the powers surging through his body, he could vaguely make out the huge shapes of the hounds ahead of him.

They continued to follow the hounds through the realms of Hell hoping they were not too late to rescue their father. Sam was already devising what he was going to do to the ones who took him. Alastair was going to find out he messed with the wrong family when he took his father and tried to kill both him and Dean.

* * *

**A/N: With help from allies, the brothers are on the hunt for their father. Thank you for coming along on this journey. Comments would brighten my day. NC**


	17. Chapter 17

Time moved differently in Hell than it does on Earth. A day on Earth was like a hundred and twenty days in Hell, give or take a few. John had no concept how long he had been held in the stone cell as he slowly started coming around again. Alastair had taken his time with the last torture session and made John suffer unbearable pain trying to break him. He would always ask the one question before killing him. _‘You can get off the rack if you will pick up the knife and begin torturing soul. Just say yes,’_ and his answer had always been, ‘ _Go to hell’._

His bloodshot eyes looked up to see a female standing by the table picking up things from it and looking at them. He watched with hooded eyes as she chose a weapon and moved toward him.

“I got to hand it to you John, you have lasted far longer than I thought any human could against Alastair’s torture,” she praised him. “Then I got to thinking, what would really give you the incentive to do as we ask? And then it came to me.” She snapped her fingers and two demons came through the door with someone struggling between them.

John’s eyes widened in shock as he recognized his son. “Sammy?” he questioned in a hoarse voice.

“Dad, please, what’s going on?” Sam cried out as he was shoved to his knees and restrained.

“Let’s see how you like watching your son being tortured,” Lilith goaded grabbing a hand full of Sam’s hair and jerking his head back. She smiled evilly as she ran the knife down his cheek and peeled the skin back in one long strip.

Sam screamed in pain as he begged John to help him. John pulled on his restraints only causing his wrists to bleed as he tried to reach his son. He watched her jerk his shirt open and slice into his chest soaking Sam’s clothes in his own blood. He stopped struggling when suddenly a voice he knew whispered in his head. _‘Dad we’re coming for you, hold on. We’re almost there’._ John looked to the body that looked like his son and reasoning started taking hold. 

His Sam had powers; he would not let himself be taken like this. A scene took shape in his mind of when Sam told him about his powers and that he had warded himself where he could not be found by demons or possessed by them. He made John go get the anti-possession tattoo too, thought that had been shredded now, but he deemed a possessed person could not do what they needed done. It had to be a human soul. The words started sinking into his shattered mind. This was demons he was dealing with and they could make you do and see all kinds of things. No matter how much he looked like Sam; John knew that was not his son.

Lilith grew impatient when John stopped reacting to her torture of Sam. She looked at him and saw a steely defiance in his eyes as he glared at her, his head held high. She screeched at him as she lunged burying the knife into his chest, time and time again until he was dead. Her breath came out in ragged pants as she swung her head to see Alastair clapping in the doorway.

“I see you’ve not lost your touch my dear,” he commented.

“You’ve got to work harder; my father is getting impatient that you are not following through with the plan.”

“He is cracking, it won’t be much longer now. He will break.”

“What about his sons? Should we kidnap them and let him really watch their torture?”

“No, the youngest one is dangerous, as a last resort we could take the older one. Give me a few more days with him.”

“Fine, but I will not wait much longer,” she sneered before stalking away. She slit the throat of the fake Sam and tossed him in the corner so John could look at it and be reminded of the death.

Alastair looked at the dead body knowing he would have to wait now for it to regenerate before he could begin his torture. He was miffed at Lilith for intruding on his workspace but was treading lightly since she was Lucifer’s first born and when he rose, he would not take kindly to her being denied her pleasures. He stalked away to see to other matters until John was whole again.

**spn**

No one knew how long they had been following the hellhounds through the bowels of Hell, but no one complained. They came to an abrupt halt and Sam fell into Juliet before he could stop his forward momentum.

“Sorry Juliet,” Sam told her as he looked at a barred door in front of them. There was sigils and ancient writing etched into the door and both hounds were growling and scratching at it. “We need to break this down.”

“I can help with that,” Castiel offered moving around the brothers and standing at the door. He placed a hand in the middle of it and frowned slightly as his grace began to build and suddenly the power was unleashed tossing the door aside and allowing them entrance.

The hounds were the first to skirt around Castiel and race into the chamber getting a strong scent of the human they were ordered to protect. Sam and Dean stepped into the room and saw tunnels leading from it in different directions.

“Where’d they go?” Dean asked deciding now might be a good time to pull out the demon knife.

“This way,” Castiel replied as his hearing picked up the hounds huffing pants. He led the brothers down one of the tunnels, keeping his ears trained on the hounds. 

All three stopped in their tracks when the tunnel opened into a large chamber that had a dozen demons suddenly looking up at them. They formed a barrier so they could not pass, and Sam stepped forward.

“Afraid you guys chose the wrong side, Crowley might be forgiving, but I’m not,” he growled at them. Sam glared at the six standing in front and suddenly they burst into a cloud of black dust that drifted slowly to the ground.

The remaining demons looked in shock and fear as half their numbers were diminished. Whispers were racing through the others on who this was and _‘Boy King’_ was mumbled. Dean could not hear what they were saying but he could see the fear on their faces and looked to his brother who was standing tall and presenting a deadly threat to them. 

Castiel could hear the whispers and looked at Sam in surprise knowing now what he could not see at first. He was the one tainted by demon blood and was destined to rule Hell. He was not sure why this demon named Crowley had the throne, but he had a feeling Sam had allowed it. There was a darkness inside of him, but there was also a shimmering light that pulsed brightly never quit letting the darkness take over.

“Who’s next?” Sam asked as he raised his hand to snap his fingers.

The demons scattered in different directions, none waiting to end up like the dust piles on the floor. Sam moved forward and let his senses reach out searching for their father. He could feel him, he was close. He headed down a tunnel and stopped short as a demon stood by himself staring at them with white eyes. 

“I see you found your way into my domain,” Alastair said. His voice was smooth and silky as he studied the three intruders. “It will do you no good, you cannot stop what is destined to be.”

“Dean, go find Dad, Cas go with him,” Sam said in a calm, clear voice. He shifted the pack to Dean and held it out to him.

“No Sammy, I’m not leaving you,” Dean insisted taking the pack from him.

“Cas, take him, I’ve got this,” Sam ordered pushing Dean down a tunnel away from him but never taking his eyes off the demon.

Castiel puzzled on the name he was called but did as he was requested. He grabbed Dean and headed down the tunnel away from the youngest Winchester. Dean cussed and struggled to get free but could not break the firm hold the angel had on his arm.

“I need to help my brother,” he growled at the angel.

“I think your brother can take care of himself. He wants us to find your father and rescue him.”

“Damnit Sammy,” Dean hissed as he gave in and did not fight any longer. 

**spn**

Once Sam saw Dean was gone and safe, he focused his full attention on Alastair. He could feel the forces beginning to build and pulled even more in as he slowly walked toward him.

“So, you are Azazel’s favorite little pet that he chose to start the war?” Alastair questioned. “You know I would have thought it would have been your brother. He seems a more…Fitting candidate.”

“Leave my brother out of this. I’m going to kill you.”

“Sam, Sam, you think you’re strong, but you don’t have it in you. You’re too weak and soft to do me any harm.”

“I’ve learned a few things since Azazel took me. You might be surprised.”

Alastair waved his hand like swatting away a bug and Sam was thrown backward but he caught himself before falling. He grimaced from the blow, but it did not slow him. He rose to his full height, brushing off his hands as he stepped back toward Alastair and threw out his hand making him crash into the wall behind him. Sam eyes were burning darkly as he moved closer. Alastair was on his feet and hit Sam again with his powers only to move him back a few feet but not take him down. Sam grinned in triumph when he saw a hint of fear on the demon’s face. He raised a hand and squeezed it into a fist as he searched until he latched onto the demon’s soul.

“This can’t be!” Alastair screeched as he felt his soul being constricted inside of him. He lashed out again and saw blood drip from a cut on Sam’s face, but that did not ease the strangle hold on him. 

The blow came and Sam took it feeling a wetness on his cheek, but he ignored it and centered all his focus on slowly tearing the black soul to pieces a little at a time. He felt a stab of pain in his chest that only made him angrier and tossed Alastair back against the wall so hard rocks crumbled from it. He held him there while he destroyed the demon from within and then formed a small fireball in his hand to toss on the body. Sam stood there taking in deep breaths as he watched the body being consumed by the fire until there was nothing left but ash.

“I told you I was going to kill you, you sonovabitch,” Sam whispered as he held his head high with his victory. With Alastair dead, Sam turned on his heels and went in search of his brother and Castiel, hoping they had found their father.

* * *

**A/N: Sam has taken care of Alastair and now to find his father. Hope you enjoyed the drama. Only a few more chapters to go and this journey will be over. Comments would be great. NC**


	18. Chapter 18

“The hellhounds are up ahead of us,” Castiel told Dean as he moved away from him and toward the animals. 

The tunnel opened into another room, smaller than the first but it was empty. Castiel moved ahead of Dean and was almost to the other side when suddenly Dean was propelled across the room to hit hard against the stone wall, stunning him. A wall of fire suddenly sprang up in front of Castiel blocking his way back to Dean.

“Dean!” Castiel called to him as he saw the female demon walk slowly out of the shadows glaring at him in delight.

“I knew I should have chosen you instead of Sam,” she addressed Dean, looking him over from head to toes.

“Go find Dad!” Dean grunted as he got up and shook his head trying to fight through the pain. He held himself up with the wall and finally was able to see the woman in front of him. “So, are you Alastair’s bitch?” he asked boldly, blinking rapidly to clear his vision.

“He works for me!” she spat at him throwing him again.

Dean rolled and tried to cushion his blow as he groaned when his side made contact with a rock sticking up out of the ground. He looked toward the fire and saw Castiel finally turn and head down the tunnel in search of his father.

“Really, doesn’t seem like the kind of demon that bows down to a lowly female,” Dean goaded her. He wanted to keep her attention on him in hopes Castiel could get to their Dad.

“You measly little man, do you know who you’re talking to?” she demanded raising her hand and lifting him off the ground to dangle in the air. “I am Lucifer’s first born. I was freed to release him from his prison so he can take over the world. It will be ours to do with as we please.”

“And how’s that going for you?” Dean huffed as he could feel himself being dragged toward her. He saw the demon knife where he had dropped it. He felt the weight of the Colt in his jacket pocket but could not get his hands to cooperate to get it out. Dean felt a hand close around his throat and began to squeeze constricting his flow of air.

“You and your brother are going to pay for this. I will kill you and then I will go after your brother and nothing is going to stop me,” she growled into his face as she sneered at him. She watched him struggling for a breath and his face turn red the harder she squeezed. Lilith grinned as she saw him gasping for air and trying to fight her.

Without warning, an invisible force suddenly slammed into Lilith making her lose her grip on Dean who crumbled to the ground coughing and choking. He wheezed in a mouth of air trying to stave off the blackness that was threatening to pull him under. With a shaky hand, he pulled the Colt from his inside jacket pocket and raised it toward Lilith.

“Screw you,” he said in a hoarse voice before firing a shot.

Lilith was held in place by the hell hound who let go when she heard the shot. Lilith looked down at the hole in her chest and stared in shock at Dean as bolts of red and white lightening spread out from the entrance wound racing through her body destroying her very soul. She screamed her rage and tried to move toward Dean only to stumble and fall to her knees before dropping forward all life gone from the meat suit she was wearing.

Dean fell back against the hard ground trying to pull more air into his starved lungs. He slapped at the wet tongue that licked his face and the fetal smell that accompanied it. His entire body ached, and his head was pounding as he let the blackness take him away for now. The bitch was dead, and their father would be saved, were his last thoughts.

“Dean!” Sam yelled running into the chamber and looking around. He heard the whine of the hound and could see her shape as she nudged a body lying on the ground. He hurried over to the hound and saw Dean’s unconscious body. “Hey man, Dean, are you hurt?” Sam checked his body and found scrapes, small gashes and the marks of a handprint around his throat. He felt for a pulse and sighed when one beat too fast against his fingers. 

Juliet whined and pushed at Sam as she hunkered down at Dean’s side. For some reason she took a liking to this human and wanted him to get up and scratch her again.

“Sam,” Castiel called from a tunnel.

Sam looked up and saw the fire burning at the entrance to a tunnel. “Cas are you okay?” he asked leaving Dean for now. “Did you find Dad?”

“I have him. I have healed his physical injures but he is still confused. He thinks this is a trick.”

“Dad, it’s Sam,” he called trying to find a way around the flames. “How do I put this out?”

“I don’t know. Holy fire will burn out in time, but we shouldn’t stay no longer than needed.”

“Would throwing sand on it work?”

“I don’t think so,” Castiel replied. “Wait, the hellhound is doing something.”

“What Cas?”

“He’s peeing on the fire. It seems that will distinguish holy fire.”

Sam watched as the flames began to die on one side of the tunnel allowing a small opening. He felt the hellhound pass him and looked on with anticipation as his father was pushed carefully along the edge of the wall toward him. He grabbed his arm and pulled him to his side wrapping him in a tight hug. He had the angel’s trench coat draped over his shoulders since all that were left of his clothes were his blood stained briefs. Cas skirted the remaining fire and stepped into the chamber looking around.

“Where’s your brother?”

“Over there can you help him?”

“I will see,” Castiel stated walking toward the downed Winchester and kneeling by this side. He startled when the hellhound growled at him. “I am trying to help him Juliet.” 

She huffed a nose full of hot air at him but remained where she was as Jasper joined her sitting by her side.

Sam guided John over to them and sat him on a rock nearby as he stepped over to see what Castiel was doing. He was so tense and stressed, he thought he was going to explode. The powers inside of him were still running wild but he was slowly getting control of them.

Castiel laid a hand on Dean’s chest and closed his eyes as he assessed the damage and let his grace flow into the young man’s body. Bluish white light glowed brightly under his hand making Juliet bark and stand up, her face only inches from the angel. As the light faded, Dean suddenly drew in a sharp breath and opened his eyes darting around until they finally found his brother.

“Are you okay?” Sam asked when he saw the recognition in his eyes.

Before Dean could answer a wet, slobbery kiss was planted across his face making him push away at the invisible being and groaning in disgust, “That’s just nasty,” he complained trying to wipe his face on his shirt sleeve. “Dad? Where’s Dad?”

“He’s over here. Cas rescued him,” Sam assured him.

“What’s with this mutt?” Dean asked as he was butted in the head by Juliet until he finally reached up and scratched what he thought was her head to get a soft whine from her.

“It seems she likes your smell,” Castiel offered getting a bitch face from Dean.

Dean grabbed Sam’s hand to help him stand and looked over at their father. His body did not ache, and his head was not hurting like before he passed out, so he figured the angel had healed him again. “Is he alright?”

“He has sustained a tremendous amount of torture while here under Alastair’s hands. His mind is trying to process and handle what it went through. It will take some time for it to heal,” Castiel told them.

“I for one am ready to get out of here,” Dean spoke getting everyone’s attention.

“Me too,” Sam agreed. “C’mon Dad, let’s get out of here.” Sam was gentle with him as he got John to his feet and steered him toward the way they had come.

“Alright, I hope you can lead us out of here. Go find Crowley,” Dean told Juliet who woofed at him before both hounds trotted away.

“They are going that way,” Castiel reported as he began to head the same way as the hounds.

“Let’s go Dean,” Sam nodded as he followed the angel.

“Right behind you,” Dean grunted checking out John’s appearance.

They had to go slow because of John but it seemed the hounds knew this and were going at an easier pace. Sam had them stopping for rest so he could give John water and let him catch his breath. He still had not spoken to any of them yet since being rescued. 

Dean helped with John and mumbled encouraging words to him as he pulled the coat closer around his body even though it was not cold in the tunnels. He looked to Sam and saw he seemed agitated and jittery.

“Hey bro, you okay?” Dean asked looking him over.

“I’m fine,” Sam insisted looking away from him.

“No, you’re not, stopping lying,” Dean told him. 

Sam fidgeted for a moment before looking up at him and talking, “I’m still just on edge,” Sam said. 

“Hey, I’m here,” Dean mumbled squeezing his shoulder and leaning down enough to get in Sam’s line of vision. “I’m not going anywhere. It’s over with and you can let it go. Don’t take it with you.”

Sam closed his eyes and pulled in some slow breaths pushing the power out and away from him. Most of it he had used to kill Alastair and what was left, he forced down and locked away. He could feel his brother’s presence beside him and used him as an anchor to stay grounded. After a couple of moments, Sam opened his eyes and looked at Dean’s worried face.

“I’m good Dean,” Sam nodded as he let out the breath he was holding. “Thanks.”

“Anytime bro,” Dean whispered. 

“Dean, Sam?” John called in a hoarse voice as he tried to find them.

“Dad, hey it’s okay,” Sam said quickly going to kneel in front of him so he could see him.

“Hey Dad,” Dean added placing a hand on his arm. 

“Is it really you?” he asked.

“Yeah Dad, we’re going home,” Sam assured him.

John only nodded and let Sam help him to stand and they continued going back through the maze of hallways until they were standing at the throne room door. Juliet pushed the door open and bound in going to Crowley and growling excitedly, followed by Jasper.

“Juliet, Jasper, I see things worked out,” Crowley said. He watched the others enter the room and saw the additional body with them. 

“It’s done Crowley, your throne is safe.” Sam stated.

“Good for you. Now I’m guessing you want a lift out of here.”

“Yes.”

Juliet ran to Dean and circled him, pushing at his hand until he scratched her head and patted it.

“Looks like she’s taken a liking to you Squirrel.”

“Name’s Dean, Crowley.”

“Whatever you say,” Crowley replied. “See you later Moose,” he addressed Sam before snapping his fingers and sending the three hunters and one angel out of Hell.

Juliet whined once and then trotted off with Jasper to other parts of Hell where their offspring were waiting. She would not forget the human’s smell and would protect him if called upon again.

Crowley lounged on his throne thinking all was right in the world once again and it was better to have the Winchesters as allies than enemies. He saw what they could do against the worst of foes and seemed to come out on top every time.

* * *

**A/N: One more chapter to go and this journey will be over. I hope you have enjoyed this trilogy and will come along on the next journey. Comments would be great. NC**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: The journey is over, and I hoped you enjoyed the ride. I hope you will leave a comment to let me know what you thought of the ending. Until next time…. NC**

* * *

Dean and Sam grabbed John before he fell to the ground by the motion of being transported from Hell. They looked around trying to figure out where they were and saw they were in the abandoned building they had summoned Crowley to earlier.

“Cas, can you take us back to the motel?” Sam asked him.

“Yes, I can only take two at a time,” he replied.

“Take Dad and come back for us,” Dean told him.

They watched as Castiel gripped John’s arm and disappeared.

“So, now that he’s gone, what do we do about the angel?” Dean asked quickly.

“What do you mean?”

“Christ Sammy, he’s an angel. Do we just forget they exist? Is he going to be hanging around?”

Before Sam could answer Castiel appeared in front of them. “I have delivered your father to Bobby, shall we go?”

“Yeah sure Cas,” Sam nodded giving Dean a bitch face to be quiet.

“Why is it you call me this name?” he questioned Sam. “Cas.”

“It’s a nickname, short for Castiel. Instead of having to say your full name all the time it makes it easier.”

“A nickname?” Castiel asked.

“Friends give each other nicknames,” Dean offered.

“Friends? Are we friends?”

“That’s still up in the air.”

“Why don’t we discuss this at the motel?” Sam asked. “I for one could use a cold beer.”

“Now you’re talking Sammy,” Dean replied. “Remember, bend your kn…” he started before they disappeared and within seconds appeared in the motel room making Bobby draw down on them.

“It’s us Bobby, no need for guns,” Dean said quickly holding up his hands.

“Sorry boys, can’t be too careful. You two okay?”

“Yeah Bobby. Where’s Dad?”

“Taking a shower to clean up.”

“How’s he doing?”

“He’s vertical at least, give him some time, I think he’ll be okay.”

“So, you off to Heaven to report back to whoever?” Dean asked Castiel.

“I will return and see what my next assignment will be,” Castiel answered. He had been told by his superiors to watch these brothers but not let them know. Castiel was a good soldier and obeyed orders without question. He had been assigned to keep an eye on the brothers since they were born but was not given additional reasons why they were important to Heaven’s plans.

“Let me get this straight, you come down here, possess a human and what stalk people?” Dean asked not caring he sounded rude.

“Dean,” Sam cautioned him with a bitch face and _‘might not want to irritate an angel’_ spoke in Dean’s head.

“We watch over humans and sometimes intervene, but usually allow them to make their own choices whether they be good or bad.”

“I’m ready for a beer, so later dude,” Dean told Castiel as he went to the small fridge to grab a beer.

“Excuse my brother’s manners _Castiel,”_ Sam said. He enunciated and used his full name this time. “Thank you for your help in saving our Dad.”

“I was only following orders.”

“Even so, thank you,” Sam told him holding out his hand to shake.

Castiel looked at it for a moment before reaching and shaking his hand. He could feel a tingle like he was being checked out, but it was gone as quickly as he felt it. 

“I will leave you now. Goodbye,” he said looking at each one in the room before disappearing.

**spn**

Dean and Sam looked to the bathroom door when it opened, and their Dad stepped out in a cloud of steam. He looked better now that he had showered. John looked up and saw them standing there and it broke down his wall that held back his emotions.

“My boys,” John’s rough, gravelly voice whispered stepping toward them on unsteady legs.

Dean and Sam quickly moved to him when they saw him falter in his steps and let him pull them into a tight embrace as they held him up. Both could feel his body shaking and the soft sobs coming from him. Sam’s eyes filled with tears that leaked out. They stood together for several minutes, none wanting to let go until finally John released them, patting their shoulders. Sam wiped his eyes and looked at Dean to see tears in his eyes too.

“Is it over?” John asked looking at his sons.

“Yes, the demons are dead and any plans they had to raise the devil have been stopped,” Sam replied.

“Beer Dad?” Dean asked holding up the bottle he was sipping from.

“I really could use something a little stronger.”

“I can help with that,” Bobby offered. He went to his bag and dug around until he pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels, the good stuff. “Sam, wanna get four glasses? I think this calls for a toast.”

“Sure,” Sam nodded stepping to the counter and unwrapping four plastic glasses. He sat them on the table and watched as Bobby poured the amber liquid in each one.

They all took a glass and looked at each other, no words needed. The plastic glasses were clinked together, and the whiskey was drunk. They had taken on another monster with a plan on destroying the world and survived. No one knew what fate had in store for them, but they would meet it head on as a family that they now were, a grouchy old hunter, a father, a warrior and a psychic.

**The End**


End file.
